Bonnie's Theft
by therightstory
Summary: Bonnie and Damon are back from the other side and it was a good thing that Bonnie wasn't expecting a smooth transition because they certainly aren't getting one. Damon seems determined to make up for lost time. Elena isn't sure she's ready to let go of him. And theirs an angel trying to kill them. Is she going to hell if she kills an angel?
1. Prologue

_Part Two to A Vision's Theft_

"What is going on? Why did you send me to the wrong address when everyone is here?" asked Jeremy slamming the car door closed as he stalked towards the house.

"We can talk about this later. You can even yell at me if you want, but neither of us can be here right now," replied Elena blocking the doorway.

"Caroline's mom told me what was going on. That you have her watching Emma so that you can try again to bring Bonnie home."

"Yes," said Elena weighing how much to tell him in her mind.

"I can't believe that after all this time I am still have the same conversations with you over and over again. I am not a child. You can let me know whats going on," he said folding his arms in front of his chest.

"And what if its bad news," said Elena biting her lower lip.

"I am a vampire slayer. I'd say that's pretty bad news. I lost my girlfriend to the other side i'd say that's pretty bad news. I can handle what life has to throw at me."

"Your actions say otherwise. Your drinking and then the crazy training sessions with Alaric." Elena said.

"So your chastising me on my coping mechanisms and you're sleeping with Enzo. A freaking killer whose arguably worse than Damon."

"We could have been there for each other. But you had other plans. So I leaned on the only other person who missed Damon as much as I did, Enzo."

"You're actually blaming your bad decisions on me?" asked Jeremy one eye-brow raised.

"It's not a bad decision or maybe it is I don't know. That's not the point," she said throwing up her hands in exasperation.

"Just stop it and let him in. You don't need to be fighting," replied Bonnie shaking her head dejectedly. Her hand on her back her stomach protruding obviously.

"Bonnie," he said pushing past his sister to give her a hug. "I'm glad you are okay."

"Okay as one can be pregnant," she said stepping out of his grasp and rubbing her stomach.

"How can this happen? I thought you died," he said touching her stomach tentatively as if whatever was in their would pop out at him like from a scene from alien. "Is it human?"

Her heart pounded in her ears. "You're not asking the right questions. I need to tell you who the father is and we both need to sit for me to do it.

She walked past the living room and out into the patio. Not bothering to take a glance at the faces that she knew would be staring them down. She couldn't dare to see the expression on Damon's face.

"I see that I am the last to know everything around here."

"Only because they care about you."

"I don't need protection. I've proven that already. Does this baby mean you are in trouble?" He said helping her down into a lawn chair, but feeling like standing himself. Anxious to know what was going on as he paced in front of her.

"No, but the babys father might need protection from you."

He looked at her stunned by her assumption. Then he noticed the ring on her finger.

She grimaced and looked at her hand. "It survived the journey."

"This baby wasn't an accident," he exclaimed realizing the situation he had walked into. "Where's Damon?"

"He's in the living room too. He made the transition first. He's the baby's father," she blurted opting to rip the Band-Aid off quick.

"You've only been gone three what four months!" He yelled feeling like all the time he had grieved for her was a waste. She obviously didnt care for him at all. "You slept with Damon the moment you got there."

"In our world," she said blinking back tears, "We've been gone a lot longer than that its been over a year for us. It didn't happen like that."

"I'm not going to sit idly by while you make her cry. Back off Jer -" interrupted Damon. Elena following behind and standing between the two men keeping them from coming to blows.

"He's sticking up for you now. He's some protector against me. The man who loved you, grieved for you," Jeremy yelled directing his comments to Bonnie. Who couldn't even look him in the eye. "I'm out of here." He brushed past Damon his shoulder hitting his and went to his car.

"Let me come with you?" asked Elena wanting to help her brother.

"Sorry love you have bigger fish to fry," said Enzo blocking her escape to the car. "What exactly do you mean telling the young lad that it was a mistake, but maybe it wasn't? Like you're still some high school aged girl and I was the guy who made you do it."

Elena shrugged angry that he was choosing now to discuss this.

"I've had enough of all of you," replied Jeremy stepping from his car carrying a cross bow. Aiming it at Enzo's back before Elena pushed him out of the way catching it in the shoulder.

She cried out as the arrow burned the inside of her shoulder. "Enzo, its silver."

"Hold on love," he said yanking the arrow out of her shoulder as he knelt by her side.

Jeremy watched the scene play out in front of him like it was happening to someone else. He watched as everyone piled outside of the house to see what had happened. And It suddenly dawned on him that he wasn't apart of them anymore. He belonged somewhere else. He threw the cross bow back into the passenger side of his car and sped off.

"You shouldn't have stepped in," said Bonnie to Damon wiping at her eyes.

"Boy wonders right about one thing. I am your protector and he was over stepping his bounds by making you cry," sneered Damon. "If it wasn't for Elena I would have killed him."

"If Elena doesn't give me a reason not too. I'm going to kill him," said Enzo a dark tone in his voice that wasn't there before.

"No one's going to do anything," said Caroline waving away there craziness as she and Alaric helped Elena inside.

"I'm going to be too busy to make sure that you two don't do that. So how about you just control yourselves for a change," replied Stefan nodding his understanding to Bonnie before going to the kitchen to retrieve a blood pack to speed up the healing process.

"He didnt give me a chance to explain," replied Bonnie unable to stop crying. As she became angry with herself that her hormones were choosing now to start raging out of control.

Damon squinted at her and watched her for a moment. "Is there even anything to explain?"

She looked at him in silence.

"You had a baby with your husband. But we're not in that world anymore. We're in this one and just like Elena you're probably wishing things were different."

Before she could dispute his assumption he was gone. She looked in the living room and saw Elena's head laying on top of Enzo's lap. Seeing them together is a little weird. She put her hand on her belly and rubbed her stomach. "Mommy's sorry about daddy. She really is."


	2. Chapter 2

_Three_ _Months Later . . ._

"It's Christmas he has to come home this time," said Bonnie washing dishes in the Salvatore's kitchen.

"He says he is busy away at college. We have to respect that," said Elena bending over the hot oven waving away the heat that was hitting her face as she basted the turkey.

"My first Christmas with Emma is officially a success. She actually wanted to take a nap under the Christmas tree. It is the cutest thing ever. You must come see." Caroline interrupted barreling into the kitchen a ton of energy. "And sssh on the Jeremy topic."

"He's my brother, Care."

"I know and I truly respect that, I do. Just like I respect his choice not to accept the truth about Bonnie's pregnancy three months ago. But every time his name comes up it brings doom and gloom and we just have too much to celebrate and be happy for," said Caroline leaning on the kitchen table as she tried to talk some sense into both of her friends.

Elena casted a doubtful look at Bonnie. "I wasn't the one that brought him up in the first place."

"I'm sorry. I still care about him and want him to be okay. Maybe me and Damon should leave and allow him time to come home and be with his family." Bonnie offered turning around and wiping her went hands on a dry towel.

"I'm not leaving my house for boy wonder. He'll have to stake me first," said Damon entering the kitchen with Enzo in tow.

"Honey, I didn't hear you come in," said Bonnie hesitantly leveling an eye towards Caroline.

Damon smirked. "Good to be a vampire again."

"If you say so."

He leaned down to give her a kiss and she shrinked back away from him. "Eeew feeding breath. What have you been snacking on?"

He leaned against the sink and cast Enzo a knowing glance.

"Bunny Rabbits, love. Just bunny rabbits." With that he turned towards Elena and planted a big wet kiss on her.

Although it was still weird for Bonnie to see Elena and Enzo together. It was Damon she was normally watching during these exchanges. For signs of jealousy, hatred, concern. But he was a vampire again so maybe that meant she would never truly know how he felt about things. "I think its great that your trying the animals thing."

"Yeah, right. I only agreed to try remember that," Damon said turning away from the peep show and caressing his wifes belly. It was hard to believe she was six months already and only in a few short moments. He would actually have his first child in his arm.

"Yeah I know, just giving you some words of encouragement."

He leaned over and kissed her on her forehead before kissing her stomach. "Take care of mommy while I'm gone."

"Gone?! You just got back."

"And will be back in time for dinner, promise," said Enzo already walking towards the door.

"Yes, I wont miss Christmas dinner with my new family. I can promise you that," Damon said grabbing her hands and kissing her knuckles before pulling her into a hug. She looked to the side to see jealousy on Elena's face, but it was gone in a blink of an eye. Maybe she was being to hormonal and sensitive and didnt really see it. "Well, at least tell me where you're going?"

"Nothing, for my pregnant wife to worry about." He said rushing out of the kitchen using his vampire speed.

"I know you're lying to her. Both of you," said Caroline matching their speed and following behind them.

"Then you better get back before she catches on," sneered Enzo as he rolled his eyes at the doe-eyed vampire.

"Damon she trusts you and wants you to be better before the baby. You should want that as well."

His anger boiled over and he wrapped his hands around her neck pushing her into the wall. "What I want is to be the vampire I was meant to be."

Stefan came down the stairs and threw him off of her. "Touch my WIFE again and you wont have to worry about Jeremy. I'll stake you myself."

"Everyone just continue to lie for the sake of the at-risk pregnant woman in the kitchen and mind their own business," said Enzo grabbing Damon's arm and pulling him out the door. They had a party to ruin.

"What is going on here?" asked Bonnie coming out of the kitchen into the hallway.

"Nothing, Damon just tripped on the rug in the hall," replied Stefan going into the living room to check on Emma.

"I need to finish cooking. We cant very well expect Elena to do it all on her own. We'd be eating pizza then," said Caroline squeezing past her and going back into the kitchen.

Bonnie was the only one left standing in the hallway staring at an open door. They were all keeping something from her and she was growing tired of it.

* * *

"Just in time, see," said Damon carrying in a drunken Enzo just as they were sitting down at the dinner table. He sat Enzo next to Elena and joined Bonnie across from them.

"We were beginning to think that you weren't going to show up?" whispered Bonnie between gritted teeth.

"Don't be so hard on Damon. The consummate family man he insisted we leave before things got really good," said Enzo grabbing a dinner roll from the basket in front of them.

"And what about you?" asked Elena.

"I'm not a family man," he replied winking at her. "And holidays really aren't my thing. You know that."

"But there mine and you know that."

"Okay, okay, settle. Emma's here lets not argue. Everyone is here together and that's all that matters," said Caroline finding it hard to believe herself as she smiled meekly at Stefan and Emma. "Emma's going to say the prayer."

"We're praying now?" asked Enzo rolling his eyes.

Stefan gave him a death stare, silencing him on the spot.

The prayer was endearing and pulled at his heart strings if he thought he had one. Which is why he jumped at the chance to answer the door bell that interrupted dinner. It was the witch that saved Bonnie and Damon from the other side.

"I need your help. I'm being chased by an angel."


	3. Chapter 3

Enzo sneered. "I don't help people love. I think you're looking for Stefan." He stepped aside and showed her into the dinning room.

Caroline had already disappeared with Emma. Given the short amount of time she was most likely upstairs. He used his extra hearing to confirm that Emma was chatting away pleasantly in her room.

Elena stood up and walked towards Enzo pulling him to the side. "I don't help people."

"Not willingly love, you know this. I'm trapped in a constant storm of need in the form of the Salvatores."

"You're not -" She broke off closing her lips as it dawned on her that she recognized the lady. It was the witch Stefan used to bring back Damon and Bonnie.

"Vanessa, back for another vacation?" Asked Stefan standing up from the table his whole body tense and ready for anything.

"I'm back because you compelled me to do some very dark magic and now there's an angel named Mason making sure I can never do it again," said Vanessa.

"That's not his real name," sighed Bonnie heavily.

"What is it then?" asked Damon pensively.

Bonnie rubbed her tummy instinctually. "I'm not sure."

"We're friends, will help you in whatever way we can," said Elena stepping forward to intervene a sense of calm.

"We're not friends and you can drop the charade. I reversed whatever lies you tried to tell me once I knew someone was after me," said Vanessa coldly. The smell of the turkey and ham wafting off the table making her stomach growl.

"Sit, eat, tell us what happened. I'll fix the mess I got you into," said Stefan pointing to the empty chair beside him that Emma occupied only moments before.

"Fine," she said, she hadn't eaten anything since she first hit the road. Her magic was the only thing keeping her standing on her two feet right now. She was tired, but she knew if she was going to get Stefan to help her showing any kind of weakness was not the way to go. Especially after finding out that he had been the one to abduct her and had no intentions of returning her to her life until the job was done.

Everyone sat back down at the table eyeing each other and their guest with weariness. Damon switched seats with Bonnie. Choosing to sit next to the witch just in case things got messy. Caroline had yet to resurface downstairs, but everyone knew she had her ear to the ground ready to pounce if needed. Elena passed the plate of goodies around to their guest. Making a show of eating it although she had lost her appetite suddenly. No one said anything as they waited for their guests to tell them what had been going on. But it was Bonnie who broke the silence.

"Maybe it would help if I told everyone what I know about Mason," piped in Bonnie.

Since they've been back they've said very little about their time on the other side. Only revealing important details as needed to the group. Damon hasn't said anything at all to any of them about his time in Kolasi. She wasn't even sure if Stefan knew; that is where Damon went when he dropped him. It all just proved to hard to share and make sense of if you weren't there.

"Please," said Stefan nodding his agreement.

"He will look like Mason Lockwood, Tyler's uncle. He will even have some of his mannerisms and personality traits. But there is no mistake, he is not Mason," Began Bonnie.

"How is that possible?" asked Alaric.

"The Angel needed a vessel to appear in. It chose the most least threatening person in my life. Mason is just from my memories," said Bonnie casting a stray glance to Damon who was looking at her intently. She took that as a sign that she wouldn't mention that they had been boyfriend and girlfriend on the other side.

"When did you find out that he wasn't who he said he was? What gave him away?" asked Stefan mulling over this new information in his mind.

"Nothing, really it was an impressive mind game. He came to me after Damon went missing," said Bonnie frowning as she stared at the fork in front of her. Remembering the devastation she felt at being left alone, at losing the man she had come to love. A stray tear trailing down her cheek.

"What do you mean when Damon went missing? Where did he go?" asked Enzo uninterested in helping the girl, but finding this new piece of information different than anything he had heard from them before.

"It was the day that Stefan pulled me out of the other side into the land of the living. Remember time moves much slowly there. I was gone a lot longer than she was prepared for," spoke up Damon quickly. Damon grabbed his napkin and wiped gingerly at Bonnie's cheek. Knowing that only the latter part of that were true.

"We're sorry Bon-Bon. I can only imagine what that was like being pregnant in that strange world without Damon there," said Elena reaching across the table to grab her friends hand consolingly.

Enzo squinted and watched the pair more closely. There was more to that story then even he knew and he would find out what it was.

"Mason or whoever he is, is merely a gatekeeper. If someone has decided that Vanessa needs to die its coming from much higher than him," replied Bonnie recovering quickly.

"Gatekeeper, so what was in his job description before we add vigilante murderer to it," said Stefan shaking his head.

"To make sure that everything in the other world stays peaceful and quiet. That no one gets in Kahlan and no one gets out."

"So there's a strong possibility that he could becoming for you guys as well," said Stefan shaking his head somewhat defeated.

Caroline flew down the stairs appearing in the doorway. "We can't let that happen. We cant lose Bonnie when we just got her back."

"Thanks for the show of love there, Blondie," said Damon smirking.

"So how do you figure into this?" said Alaric sitting at the end of the table across from Stefan. Pushing his plate away as he too didnt feel like eating. But noticing that Vanessa had the biggest appetite in the room already on her second helping.

Vanessa picked up a napkin and wiped at her mouth feeling all the eyes of the table on her now. "He came crashing through my living room window while I was in the bathroom. Let's just say I didn't stick around to see what had happened. I took the fire escape. Called the police reported a break in. Obviously he was gone before they arrived. Only thing left that said he was even there was white feathers."

"You called the police?" asked Alaric wondering how much they had to be concerned with the boys in blue.

"I don't live in the best part of New York. It could have just as easily been a break in," commented Vanessa.

"I didn't find out the angel part of things until much later. That's when I high tailed it over here as quickly as I could. After completing a little reversal spell," said Vanessa giving the side eye to Stefan.

"How do you know he's an angel then?" said Caroline distracting her from Stefan.

"He cornered me at work, a gas station where I work the night shift. My boss keeps a shot gun under the counter. It was the only way I could have escaped. He of course was able to avoid most shots because he flew away."

Caroline stifled a giggle. "I would have loved to see that."

"Did he happen to tell you why he wanted you dead?" asked Stefan casting a stern glance to his wife Caroline.

"I brought them back," said Vanessa pointing to Damon and Bonnie who sat beside her. "He didn't want my knowledge to fall into the hands of anyone else. So my death has been ordered. He apologized and sounded genuinely sincere. Before he attacked me that is."

"It's nice to know that at least that much has not changed," said Bonnie picking up a dinner roll. The baby was starved and she couldn't put off eating a moment longer.

"Neither of us know who he truly is," said Damon resentfully.


	4. Chapter 4

It took some convincing before Caroline could get Vanessa to agree to settle for the night at her mothers. Her plan to stay at the Salvatore's to keep them under watch would only be her undoing as surely this would be the first place the Angel would look. She would just have to trust that they intended to help her. Not that she had much of a choice. Caroline wanted the holiday to be salvaged for Emma's sake. And an Angry mother beats any vengeful Angel. So they sat down to dinner pushing food around their plates and not really eating. Well everyone except Emma and Bonnie.

"So are you sure that you two are not leaving anything out?" asked Enzo sitting back in his chair observing the couple.

Alaric cleared his throat. "No, supernatural talk at the dinner table." Pointing his fork in Emma's direction as he made a show of stuffing ham into his mouth.

"It was an innocent enough question. I'm sure whatever the reply. It will make of no sense to her," snarled Enzo at being shut down by a mortal.

"I have to say I'm interested in the answer myself," replied Stefan. "It would make sense if you didn't want to say everything you know in front of the witch. Whatever smoking gun we have. We will need."

"Sorry, nothing that I can recall," said Damon simply.

"Me neither," said Bonnie in between mouthfuls. Glad she had an excuse not to be pushed further for answers.

"Are we all avoiding the most important part of this on purpose?" Elena asked gazing at everyone at the table.

"Angels exist," replied Alaric. No, the notion certainly did not escape his notice. It had him thinking about his past deeds and if they would indeed past the test.

"Who cares." Enzo got up from the table and stormed off. "Dinner was quite entertaining up until this point."

"Why didn't you say anything?" asked Stefan to Bonnie and Damon. "I mean before when we brought you home? Were you sworn to secrecy."

"Yes," replied Damon quickly.

"No," replied Bonnie simultaneously.

Damon sighed deeply. Looking at her as he bit his lower lip. "What she means is that. She was sworn to secrecy. I wasn't."

"So why didn't you say anything?" asked Stefan.

Damon smirked and turned to Stefan. "Because she asked me not to."

"Well, now that we know there real maybe I can do some research into the mythology at the college. Find something that might point us in the right direction," said Alaric scooting his chair back and standing up.

"I'll go with you," said Elena standing up as well.

"Emma here has to change her clothes. So, if you'll excuse us," sighed Stefan as he stood up and grabbed Emma in his arms. Her long legs dangling.

"She's getting so big," commented Bonnie watching the pair as they left the dining room.

"What did you think that you were being funny when you said no," whispered Damon into Bonnie's ear unable to hold back the malice in his words.

"We weren't sworn and I thought it best to stick as closely as possible to the truth. If they had've asked why I would have simply said that we thought it unimportant," said Bonnie through gritted teeth.

"Unimportant. Like they would have really believed that," smirked Damon pushing the plate away from him violently.

Bonnie turned in her chair to face him. "And just who swore us to secrecy besides yourself."

"The Angel." Damon said slamming his hand down on the table shaking the tableware and glasses.

Bonnie's heart raced as she looked over the table. "Tell him."

"What?" He screamed.

She gazed at him as her eyes watered and she blinked back her tears. "I'm sorry. I will never know what you really went through, but you cannot keep this a secret any longer."

"I can and I will."

"There could be answers there that we need to defeat this angel," pleaded Bonnie.

"Defeat an Angel. Listen to yourself," declared Damon standing up and walking away from her before he did any real damage. "I plan on doing no such thing. If he wants her. I'll be giving her to him."

"We're so use to being on the side of good in these things. That it never occurred to anyone that we actually might be the bad guys now," said Bonnie feeling dumbfounded.

"Alaric is at this very moment looking up directions on how to kill an angel," stated Damon shaking his head.

"Well, that's easy. Call a Demon," replied Enzo appearing in the doorway.

"I don't think we could afford you," smirked Damon.

"I'm flattered, friend," said Enzo walking further into the room. "But walk with me. We have much to discuss."

"Damon, don't," said Bonnie trying to stand.

"Go upstairs. Get some rest. I have a feeling that adequate sleep is going to be in short supply in the coming weeks," said Damon walking over to her and kissing her on top of her head. Hustling out of the door with Enzo.

"You should be careful what you say in that house there are many ears," replied Enzo as they found themselves in the garden at the back of the property.

"If you mean Stefan. There's no worries there," said Damon glancing up at the empty windows of the house. "I do like having a niece in the house in that it often means. His attention cannot be in two places at once."

"Then he cannot rescue you when I beat the answer I need out of you. But I'll give you a chance to tell me first what are you not telling the others," said Enzo nodding towards the house his hands clenched in fists at his side.

Damon sized his friend up. Although, he by no means considered him a threat. The ruckus and attention it might draw from Stefan might have the opposite effect of what he intended. He looked towards the sun allowing it to warm his face. Enzo is his true friend after all doesn't that mean he can trust him with his darkest secrets. He licked his lips.

"The first time Stefan tired to rescue me and he grabbed me from the other side. He dropped me."

"Yes, he would have tried again if the little witch hadn't been so puckered after the first try," nodded Enzo remembering.

"I didn't end up back with Bonnie. I went to what can only be described as hell."

"We've been to hell. Together. The Augustine Society left their fair share of wounds," said Enzo casually. "Why the secrecy?"

"Because it is not the same," said Damon catching Enzo off guard and grabbing him by his jacket and pushing him back against the tree.

"Let go of me, mate." Replied Enzo calmly the threat in his eyes as he turned.

Damon stepped back. Turning away from his friend he lifted his shirt to show him the scars left on his back.

"Oh my God." Enzo couldn't tear his eyes away from Damon's back. The skin of his back was completely gone accept for some patches here and there.

"I haven't even shown Bonnie. I cant drink enough college students to get it to heal any faster," said Damon lowering his shirt and turning back to his friend. It hurt him more to see the pity in his eyes. "I still feel the pain every night as if it is happening all over again."

"So it is healing?" asked Enzo wondering if they would be in need of a little dark magic to speed up the process.

"I think so. The pain has certainly lessoned over time."

"That's why you ask me to go out every night," said Enzo putting the pieces together in his mind.

"A major dose of Novocain makes it easier for Damon to sleep at night."

"Your secret's safe with me," replied Enzo. "You need another dose tonight?"

Damon frowned thinking of his promise to Bonnie before speaking. "I need six. I need to drain six people at least."

Enzo smiled a toothy grin. Clapping Damon on the shoulder hard. "Happy hunting then."

XXXXX

Stefan watched the pair out of Emma's window. What had Damon shown Enzo?

"Daddy, come play?" asked Emma picking up some Barbie's.

"Here I come, baby," replied Stefan.


	5. Chapter 5

"It's your lucky day mate," said Enzo pulling a sluggish Damon from the back seat of his car. "Look what I found you. A slumber party."

"Their children," stammered Damon looking through the window of one of the children's bedrooms of a small ranch style home and seeing six little girls planted in front of the tv like mindless zombies watching some cartoon. Damon and Enzo stood across the street making sure they went unnoticed as they faded into the shadows.

"No worries, mate you're not going to drain them," said Enzo licking his lips in anticipation. "But I thought for a change that we try some virgin blood to cure what ails you."

"Drunk college students and ravers don't exactly scream pure and innocent," laughed Damon jabbing his friend in the gut.

"So pick your poison? We compel the parents to let us in. We wait until they all fall asleep and sneak into their rooms like their favorite nightmare or we slaughter them all."

Damon watched as the little girls laughed and clapped their hands enthusiastically. They appeared to be the same age as Stefan's little girl. His niece. "I'm not slaughtering anyone."

"Perfectly, understood after all if Bonnie ever found out I'm sure you would hate to have to admit that you killed children. Especially with the little bun in the oven," said Enzo.

"Don't talk about her right now. Don't even mention the baby," sneered Damon his eyes changing even as they spoke. It was like he could smell their blood even from where he stood. The smell of strawberries and roses. He lumbered with heavy breath toward the window.

"You're not looking that good, mate," said Enzo noticing his friends slumped shoulders and slow labored trot.

"It hurts," he said clutching at his back feebly.

"You're looking more like the hunchback of Notre dame by every minute," said Enzo using his super speed to make it to the door before Damon came into full view of the window. He rung the doorbell glancing quickly at his friend. He looked pale even by vampire standards.

"Hello," said a tall brunette with a towel in her hand.

"Invite me in," said Enzo. "I'm your friend."

"Come in. It's nice to see you again," she said ushering him into the foyer. "I'm sorry. I don't remember where I know you from."

Just then a shriek pierced the air. "Right, got to speed this up love." He grabbed onto the ladies shoulders and told her that for the next hour she was going to ignore the girl's screams they were just watching a scary movie that your daughter snuck into the party. You'll go up and put on a cartoon later. Do not come upstairs until then and forget that I was ever here. Go back to whatever you were doing before."

"Honey, whats wrong with the girls!" Asked a big heavy set man who came barreling in from the living room into the hallway. Walking right past his wife. "Who the hell are you?"

"I wasn't here. The girls are just watching a scary movie. You'll go and change it in an hour. Let them have their bit of fun. Everything will be fine." He used his considerable speed to make it up the hallway. To see a boy of about twelve standing in the doorway to the little girls room. In superman pajamas a puddle of yellow urine pooling on the tan carpet. The smell was pungent and it made even Enzo gag. He walked over to the child and placed his hands over his eyes. "Anyone ever tell you that watching is bad? What are you doing, mate?"

"I'm still in pain. My scars are on fire right now," said Damon his words coming out as almost a growl.

Enzo shook his head genuinely disturbed at the news. "What do you need me to do?"

"Turn your back."

"Come on mate. We've been through worse. We're in this together," begged Enzo.

"I know that. That's why I'm asking you to turn around. I'm going to drain them."

Enzo looked down at the boy in his hands who appeared to be in shock. "We've both done things in our lives that we are not proud of. I'd follow you into hell. But i'm afraid that this one you may hate me for later."

"I have been to hell," he said stepping over the limp bodies of little girls splayed across the floor. "I just need not to hurt anymore. Hand him over."

Enzo looked down at the boy and thought better of it backing out of the room. "Drain them. I'll think of something to hide the bodies. But don't touch this one."

Damon snorted. "Enzo the savior."

"You must have me confused with someone else," he glanced towards the stairs glad that he had taken care of the parents. "I just know a smart move when I see it. You're about to take their daughter and every daughter in this neighborhood. There going to need him."

Damon looked down at the boy and quickly diverted his fangs into the soft neck of his first victim. Taking her life.

Enzo looked at the little boy and wiped his memory. "Go down stairs. You heard the girls scream and you wet your self. You didnt see anyone and you don't know what happened to them. Ask your mom and dad for lots of hugs and kisses." Enzo watched as the little boy scurried down the stairs. He stood up straight swallowing the knot forming in his throat. Damon wasn't the only one who was going to have to keep this secret from Bonnie. He could never tell Elena. She'd never forgive him. "How the bloody hell are we going to hide this from Stefan?"

"Let me handle my snooping brother. I got to get back to Bonnie. Take care of the bodies for me," said Damon swinging open the door.

They heard some footsteps at the bottom of the stairs.

"Out threw the window," said Enzo knocking over a few lamps in the girls room as he went.

"Shoot, how are we going to fix this now?" asked Damon already by the car.

The devastated wails from the parents piercing the veil of the quiet neighborhood. "Let's get out of here. Before the whole bloody neighborhood knows what we look like."

They pulled up in front of their house already hearing the mumbles of everyone in side in deep discussion.

"You got us into this, mate. Figure out away to get us out," said Enzo clutching the steering wheel hard. Almost afraid to go into the house and approach the glare he was sure was coming from Elena and the others.

"The Angel did it."

Enzo laughed. "That's the best you could do."

Damon smirked. "He did it for the same reason we did it. He needed pure, virgin blood to gain enough strength to attack the witch again. This time he went after the children. After all it is the innocent who must fall in the battle of good versus evil."

Enzo nodded. "That just might work, but you're giving them just the reason they need to go after this thing."

Damon stepped out of the car and headed for the front door. "It doesn't matter. We're just going to steer clear of the whole thing."

"What are we avoiding?" asked Stefan opening the front door to greet his brother and his wayward best friend.

Damon looked back at Enzo before pushing past Stefan. "I was wondering how I could avoid telling the girls what we found out about this new development about their Angel."


	6. Chapter 6

"What happened? Why are you all bloody?" asked Bonnie shuffling to Damon's side her pregnant belly prominent.

"I'm alright. Don't worry." Damon responded kissing her forehead lightly.

Elena walked up to Enzo not at all in the mood for one of his games. Crossing her arms over her chest. "What have you done?"

"That tone frightens me, love. What no faith in me?" asked Enzo unable to hold the malice from his voice.

"Just answer the question?" Stefan said cutting in not taking his eyes off of his brother. Waiting for a slip up that might tell what there true intentions were.

"We ran into the Angel that has been chasing Ms. Vanessa, here," said Enzo his gaze flitting over the young witch before he deposited himself on the couch.

"Get up, before the blood rubs off on the upholstery. I just got it cleaned," said Caroline tugging on Enzo's sleeve.

"Whatever, you say, love," said Enzo chuckling at the young vamp who still managed to care about things like furniture.

"Whose blood is it?" asked Alaric curiously. "Yours?"

"You wish," snarled Enzo wishing he could snap Alaric's head from his neck. The smug bastard always seemed to want to get one over on him in front of Damon.

"The blood is from the children," said Damon quietly looking down at the floor at no one in particular.

Bonnie seemed to flinch at the words and backed up involuntarily. "What children?"

"He killed children. We were to late to stop him. The blood is from the children we worked tirelessly to save," Said Enzo sensing his friends struggle to go any further.

"You save children instead of eat them. I'd love to see that," said Caroline chuckling to herself.

Stefan gave her a chilling frown that this was indeed no laughing matter.

Little did either of them know he had managed to remain relatively restrained and untempted by the sweet smell of the children's blood. Leaving it all for Damon to have his fill. He remembered the horrifying sight of his friends back. He indeed needed it more.

"That must have been horrible for you to see," said Elena going over to join Enzo on the couch and laying her head on his shoulder and wrapping her hands around his arm.

Enzo thought for a moment. It was hard but not for the reasons anyone would guess. It was hard for him to see his friend in so much pain. To realize that the only way out of it was to do something that even by their standards to be despicable. He pushed those thoughts out of his head and remembered that he did it for his friend. "It was more difficult than even I realized?"

"I guess that's all the proof we need that this isn't some good Angel," replied Caroline fidgeting a bit with her wedding ring.

"That's all well and good, but why would an Angel kill children?" asked Vanessa after sitting back and watching the exchange with skeptical eyes.

Damon's eyes narrowed on her. "I'm no Angel expert, you tell me."

"He's not used to being on Earth. Does it not make sense that he would need pure virgin blood to gain strength and maintain his hold on Earth. Excuse my language here, but women these days aren't exactly known for their purity of . . . heart."

Caroline snorted. "Maybe the women you meet."

"Makes sense to me. But now that he has refueled. Where is he headed next?" asked Alaric wanting to steer the conversation away from women and their sexuality. Before all the women in the room tried to stake Enzo.

"Here," said Jeremy barreling in through the front door carrying a crossbow in one hand and a black duffel bag in the other.

Everyone was stunned into silence not sure what to think.

He threw the bag on the table and unzipped the contents revealing various guns and knives. "He's in a human body so he can be injured, but he can also heal himself. Usually it takes 24 hours depending on the wound. So make it good."

Elena was the first to stand up, but before she could ask what was going on. They all hit the floor after hearing something on the roof.

"He's here," commented Jeremy looking up at the ceiling.

Caroline cast a panicked look towards Stefan. "Emma's supposed to be on her way home."

"Go," he said grabbing a gun from out of the bag and passing them off to the gang. "Call her and tell her to keep her."

"Make the wounds count, people. We need as much time as we can get," said Jeremy.

Damon looked at Jeremy wearily. He wasn't taking too kindly to boy wonder. Swooping in and trying to save the day. He had plenty of questions for him as to how he got wrapped up into this.

"I thought you didnt want to help?" whispered Enzo as he cocked his rifle hoping no one was listening in.

"I'm not. I'm going to be conveniently missing. Although there's no point in trying to save a whole soul that's just killed a hole room full of children," replied Damon quietly picking out his weapon of choice. A sword that he kept tucked away into a cabinet.

"What do you want me to use?" Came Bonnie's voice from somewhere behind him.

"Nothing," said Damon and Jeremy simultaneously.

"Thanks, but I got this," said Damon carting Bonnie off by the elbow towards the kitchen. "Stay with Caroline."

Just then a large crack appeared in the wall of the living room. It was like he was splitting the house in half.

"Don't fight me on this. Please take care of our baby," pleaded Damon staring deeply into her eyes.

Caroline appeared from the kitchen as the foundation began to shake like they were in the middle of an earthquake.

"Get her out of here."

Caroline nodded understanding perfectly as she shielded Bonnie from falling debris and made there way over to the back door.

Enzo went over to Vanessa. "You know how to use that?" He nodded to the gun in her hand.

"No, but it looks like I'm going to get a crash course," said Vanessa pointing the gun towards the ceiling with one hand.

"Rule number one," he said reaching for the side of her gun and pressing a lever. "Take the safety off."

She blushed slightly.

"Rule number three," he said pointing the rifle at the front door as it flew open. "Point and shoot, but if you find yourself struggling. Call me I'll come help."

Damon swallowed the lump forming in his throat at the sight of Mason*. This time at least he knew what to expect. He was angry at himself that he allowed Bonnie to get so close to him when they were on the other side. He may be after this young witch, but Damon wasn't going to give him a chance to miss Bonnie.

For a minute no one reacted as Mason spread his white wings before him.

"Very impressive," said Damon who stood up from his hiding position behind the cabinet. His finger hovering over the trigger.

"You don't want to do that especially since I come in peace," said Mason holding up his hand in solidarity.

"Peace?"

"Yes, this time," replied Mason simply.

"If that's true I need you to answer some questions?" Stefan stood up from his crouch behind the couch that they had flipped over for a shield.

"I will try to answer. If it ease's the witch's eventual return to me, but you will not be happy with my answers."

* * *

 **Authors Note:** I wasn't expecting Jeremy to show up. In fact maybe never as he's not my favorite character, but this chapter kind of wrote itself. *FYI: The angel is not Mason (season 1 or 2) for those who haven't read a Vision's Theft. He just looks like Mason.


	7. Chapter 7

"Why are you trying to kill her?" asked Stefan.

The angel cocked his head to the side as if it were obvious. "You enlisted her help to bring Damon and Bonnie back from the other side. I must not allow others to do the same."

"Why do you hate me?" Vanessa screamed out refusing to move from her spot hidden behind the couch.

"My opinion of you is no consequence. I am merely doing my duty."

"I was just trying to help. I didn't even have free will."

"I cannot judge you, but you will be treated fairly. But you cannot remain on Earth," said the Angel a rich baritone voice that sounded unfamiliar even to Damon.

"There must be some compromise that we can come to?" Stefan asked stepping closer to bridge the gap between them.

"You can set things to right, by returning Damon and Bonnie to their rightful place or I get the girl. You have twenty four hours."

Damon sucked in a sharp breath. His rightful place wouldn't be with Bonnie.

"Where is Bonnie? I do not sense that she is here." He asked staring at Damon.

"You stay the hell away from her," said Damon leveling his gun at the angels chest.

"Now that the truth is out. Do you think that she would take me back?" Mason smirked.

Damon cocked his rifle and shot it towards the Angel narrowly missing his shoulder blades.

Mason flew back taking air as he hovered over the house. "Why don't I just go ask her?"

Jeremy walked over to Damon, "What the hell is he talking about?"

"Not now, Jer," Snarled Enzo pushing him off his friend.

"We need to think. Where did Caroline take her?" Elena declared wanting everyone to focus.

"The dorms?" Damon offered.

"Why would she draw all that attention to innocent civilians," said Stefan not appreciating the implications.

"She doesn't know that they are in danger. Just that she's trying to get away, dish brain," Damon snapped.

"Now, now, boys play nice," said Enzo slyly quite enjoying the sight.

"Stefan, Elena with me in my car," said Alaric already grabbing his coat and keys. "Jer you too."

"Thanks, but I'll ride with Enzo and Damon," He exclaimed grabbing the bag of weapons that they still might need to use.

"No one invited you boy wonder," said Damon picking up his keys and walking to the door with Enzo trailing behind.

"Good thing, I'm not asking for permission." He slid into the back seat of her Damon's car fuming. Damon acted like he had the monopoly on caring about Bonnie. He still cared about her too and there was no way he was going to let Damon ride in on his white horse alone. Especially if the only back up he had was the very reckless Enzo.

Damon shifted the car into gear and peeled off, right on the heels of Alaric driving in the car in front of them.

Enzo got a call on his cell from Stefan and he groaned inwardly. "What?"

"I'm going to take the short cut. You guys continue on your way," said Stefan already directing Alaric where to turn.

Damon snatched the phone from Enzo's hand, yelling into the speaker. "You don't know a short cut. I keep telling you that's not a short cut. And if Bonnie is hurt because of your little idiosyncrasies -" He trailed off letting the threat hang in the air.

"She'll be fine, mate," said Enzo watching as Damon's jaw clenched.

Damon could see that Stefan was still speaking, but he had already stopped listening. He clicked the phone off and chucked it in the back. Hitting Jeremy in the forehead.

"What the hell was that for?" screamed Jeremy rubbing his forehead. Angrily pushing the cell phone onto the floor after it bounced onto the seat next to him.

"Mind handing me the phone back," smirked Enzo.

"Listen here. You don't have to like me to understand that you need as many hands as you can get if you're going to save Bonnie." Jeremy said sitting up so that Damon could see him clearly in the rear view mirror. "We can get back to the business of figuring out what the angel meant about you much later."

Damon watched as the first car turned down a different lane and thought just what he needed. Another person to keep secrets from. He laughed to himself. "I'm starting to feel like my old self already."

Enzo gave him a puzzled look. "You ready to go after this guy."

Damon looked through the rearview mirror for the first time since Jeremy got in the car. "And anyone else who wants to threaten me."

They got to the dorms first and saw no signs of Stefan, Alaric or Elena. He raced up to Bonnie's dorm to find it empty.

"It doesn't smell like they were ever here," said Enzo walking about the room.

Damon walked up to a picture of Bonnie on the night stand. Running his thumb over her smiling face. He threw it on the ground shattering the glass frame into a million pieces. "Where is she?!"

"'I knew you hated that photo. I just didn't know how much," smiled Bonnie appearing in the doorway with Caroline trailing behind.

Damon used his super speed and enveloped Bonnie in a hug.

"Damon, you're crushing the baby." Bonnie said through gritted teeth.

'I'm sorry. I'm sorry," he said backing off and rubbing her tummy. "I'm just glad you're safe." He kissed her forehead lightly.

"We all are." Jeremy piped in.

Bonnie looked over at him as if seeing him for the first time. "I was worried. I'm glad that everyone escaped unharmed."

"Everyone did escape unharmed?" Caroline asked carrying a bag into the room and throwing it unceremoniously on the bed.

"Yes, but we've got to get out of here." Enzo replied. "Or has everyone conveniently forgotten that the Angel is on its way over here."

"Over here, why?" Bonnie asked looking up at Damon with fear in her eyes.

"I don't know love. He seems to want you, but he cant have you."

"Come now, Damon. This isn't the stone age. I'm perfectly capable of letting the women decide," said Mason appearing in the doorway. His wings now hidden out of sight under a black leather trench coat.

Bonnie turned around to face him defensively. "Then allow me to choose. Damon wins. You can go now."

He stepped further into the room his normal blue eyes changing to a crystal clear color before changing back again. "You were always doing that. Choosing him even when you were swearing to me that you weren't."

Bonnie frowned. "Thats not -"

He held up his hand. "I was your boyfriend and you never gave me a chance. I'd just like a do over. This time i'm not going too ask."

Damon ran over to the floor lamp in the corner, pulled off the lamp shade and threw it straight into the stomach of the angel. He shrieked like a banshee and clutched at his shirt that was now being soaked through with blood.

The others cowered in fear as they screamed out in pain. Clutching at their ears that couldn't handle the sound of the man's screams. As quickly as it started it had stopped.

Damon crawled over to Bonnie and put his forehead against her cheek. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

Enzo was the first to stand as he made his way over to the bed where Caroline had fell. "How about you love?"

She sat up and shrugged. "At least i had a soft place to land."

"What did we miss?" asked Elena barreling into the room cross bow held high.

"You missed Mason telling us that Bonnie was sleeping with him too after she died," said Jeremy brushing off his pants as he picked himself up from the floor.

"What?" asked Elena leveling a harsh glance at her.

Jeremy didn't wait for an answer pushing past everyone as he moved to leave. "I never should have come back."

"Jeremy, don't," said Elena turning to chase after him.

"Don't worry. I got this," said Alaric giving her a reassuring nod as he ran to catch up with Jeremy on the stairs.

Stefan sat on the bed beside Caroline his arm around her waist, rubbing her blond hair gently glad that she was safe.

"So you didnt think it might be relevant to tell us you had some sort of relationship with him. Like hey he still might be in love with me and willing to kill to get me back," said Caroline annoyed. She looked over at Stefan. "I want to see Emma."

Stefan smacked his lips. "Lets go, then. These two obviously don't need our help they can do it all on their own."

"Guys, just let me explain," said Bonnie leaning on to Damon for support as she was being helped to her feet. "Dang it, Damon, this is all your fault." She moved away from him unsteadily. He reached out a hand to grab her and she pushed him away.

Elena watched the exchange suspiciously, but didnt voice any of her concerns. She walked up to Bonnie and cast a stray glance to Damon. "Let's go get something to eat. You never finished dinner. Baby needs to eat right."

Bonnie smiled. "Thank you. And I'll explain everything I will."

Damon grimaced. "Not every secret is yours to tell." He waited until the girls were out of ear shot before speaking again. "For the record it was her idea to keep the secret about dating Mason. There's only one secret i'm interested in keeping."

"What if she tells them? What are you going to do?" Enzo asked watching the girls as they walked across campus arm in arm.

"She's not going to say anything. I'll handle Bonnie," Damon said picking up the picture he had threw on the floor moments earlier. "No one will ever know that it's Stefan's fault that i ended up in Kahlan."

"What a good brother, you are?" Enzo commented snidely.

"No," Damon said quickly appearing by Enzo's side. "What a good friend! You are just as guilty for those dead children as I am. That was a necessary evil that they will all kill us for."

Enzo's blood ran cold. Although he didn't know what it was like to be stuck in Kahlan. He did remember limbo and that nearly drove him mad. He wasn't going to be sentenced to death for any reason. "How's your back?"

"Its fine. I'd say I've got two more hours."

Enzo smiled. "Let's see what parties we can crash today."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Apologies readers. I totally posted Ch 7 unfinished. Here's the updated version. I guess i had a little dish brain.


	8. Chapter 8

All was quiet as everyone filed into the living room at the Salvatore's. Stefan righted the couch and chairs and Alaric collected the weapons and piled them into the bag Jeremy had brought into the center of the room.

Damon knew he should be by Bonnie's side as she told her painful truth. But he had already lived through this and he could definitely do without the reminder. Or the looks that people would give them once they knew the truth. They truly had lived another life and it was just unfair that now the others would receive a chance to judge them on it. He stood by the window. Greatful to his friend who stood casually beside him.

Caroline came back in from the hallway carrying a broom and began to sweep up the stray glass, leaves and dirt carried in by the whirlwind of the Angel Mason. Casting quick glances at Bonnie who sat on the couch next to Elena holding her hand.

She threw down the broom in frustration. "Well is anyone going to explain." She turned around and looked in Damon's direction. "Damon."

He looked at the ground.

"When we arrived in this new world. It was supposed to have everything I needed. Including a boyfriend, Mason."

"When you're supposed to be mourning me." Jeremy commented.

Alaric placed a firm hand on his shoulder as a sign to allow her to finish.

"Mason interjected that little twist on his own. He was merely meant to be a guide," she began biting her lower lip. "He wasn't my boyfriend in the sense of the word."

Damon looked on at the silent exchange between Bonnie and Jeremy and it made his stomach turn. After all this time she was still worried about his feelings. She was carrying his baby with another man on her thoughts. Damon made a mental note to ask her about it when they were alone.

"I was in this new world. Lost with no help."

"Where was Damon?" Alaric asked.

Bonnie looked at Damon wanting some sort of sign what she was about to say was fine. "I didn't have Damon."

Damon looked away and turned towards the window.

"He missed you," Bonnie commented releasing her friends hand.

"He started drinking. Didn't he?" Alaric asked looking at the tense shoulder of his friend as if he were seeing it playing out in front of him.

"He was doing more than drinking."

"How much more?" Elena asked wondering how far Damon fell down the rabbit whole missing her.

Enzo cocked his head to the side analyzing Elena's every movement and flinch.

"Meth, cocaine, and one very willing and enabling women," Bonnie said the words coming out in a rush.

"Vampires, can't do drugs. It doesn't have the same effect after death," said Stefan eyeing his brother.

"Unless, you're human . . . and he was." Bonnie said looking at Damon's back. He still hadn't turned around to look at her. She exhaled looking down at her hands in her lap. She wanted to cry and she told herself that it was just the hormones. She looked back at Alaric. "So sorry no immaculate conception. Normal baby."

"It makes more sense than any theory I was coming up with. I'll excuse you for all those hours of unnecessary research." Alaric chuckled wanting to lighten the mood.

"Anyways, I found myself needing to pull him out of the darkness, but I had no one to pull me up. So more than a boyfriend which he wasn't. He was just a friend, to show me how this new world worked, be a listening ear and a place to go when Damon was on one of his binge's."

"That makes sense. If anything else I'm glad that you had the support you needed." Caroline stated sitting at her friends feet as she laid her head on the young woman's lap.

"You need to understand that's all it was. I mourned you Jeremy. Mason was just a place to go."

"Don't apologize," Damon screamed turning around for the first time to look at her. The vein in his forehead throbbing as his voice shook. "You don't have to plead for people to understand. Just stop apologizing." He grabbed his leather jacket from off a coat rack and stormed out of the room.

Alaric looked to Enzo who hadn't moved and decided that maybe it was his turn to comfort his friend. He snuck out while the others comforted a teary eyed Bonnie. He left just in time to see Damon revving up his car. He opened the passenger side door and sat down.

"Get out of my car."

"We can go where ever you want to go. But you're not going alone," said Alaric planting his feet firmly on the floor of the car.

"Fine," said Damon breaking the speed limit as he sped towards the woods. He needed some place quiet where he could think.

"Want to tell me what that was about back there?"

Damon looked over at him shifting gears. "No."

"How about what you and Enzo have been up to since you been back?"

Damon stepped on the gas sending the car into a screeching halt. Alaric held out his hand bracing himself against the impact. "No." He parked the car into a vacant parking lot and headed into the woods.

"Since you wont talk to me will you listen?" Alaric asked stepping over a large fallen log.

"Since Mason couldn't do me the favor of actually taking my hearing then I guess so." Damon replied with a raised eyebrow as he reached the place he was looking for. An old abandoned crypt.

"The bushes out here are growing quite beautiful."

Damon shrugged. "Don't have much of a green thumb, cant say that i noticed."

"The weather out here is quite lovely. I wont miss the rain we've gotten over the last few days."

Damon glared at him. "Lovely.

He laid down on the concrete bench and closed his eyes. Rubbing his forehead hoping the headache that was coming on would just disappear.

"You would think that someone might come by to sweep. If i were a person with allergies the dust and pollen alone would choke me into submission." Alaric said touching the dust on the wall and rubbing it on his pants.

"Are you kidding me?" Damon sat up angrily. He sighed deeply looking out of the singular window of the crypt. "We did what we had to survive. I dont ever want her to apologize for that because I wont."

"You didn't know if you were ever coming back. We didn't know either," he said coming to sit by Damon.

"To apologize for knowing Mason. Its wrong," he shrugged. "Its like apologizing that we got together and that she's now pregnant. Everything we did lead us together. I'm proud of every moment."

"Every moment?"

Damon smacked his lips. "I was spiraling without Elena, but no I cant even wish that part away. Its because of that -"

"She helped you through it."

"Mason may have self-proclaimed himself her angel, but she was mine. I got introduced to a love that was selfless and pure."

"In a form that you consider weak," Alaric said. "I would have loved to see what human Damon looked like. Sans drugs of course."

"That's just it she wasn't helping her addict friend who confused her concern and caring for something more," Damon said standing up needing to stretch his legs. "She helped me be okay with me."

"I get it Damon," Alaric said clapping his hands together.

"No, you don't. She was in heaven and I was in this special hell where Elena didn't exist and I was human. She helped me fall in love with life as it was. And because of that I have this gift our child and I'll never be able to repay that. So no its not okay for her to sit there and apologize to her ex-boyfriend."

"But is that really what she was doing. She was with Jeremy, before all this happened. She owed him some closure on how they could be together one day and not the next. Like you owe Elena," said Alaric standing up and putting his hands in pockets.

Damon stepped back as if he had been hit full force. "What do you mean what I owe Elena? She's with Enzo or have you conveniently forgotten." His voice rising with each word.

"Oh i'm aware of what's going on in there relationship."

"Good, because so am I. Enzo and I have talked at length about how they got together. Too grieving people, ships in the night, cliche cliche," said Damon waving his hand around in the air.

"How'd that conversation go with Elena? Well, you're with Enzo. I'm with Bonnie. Bye."

"That was all that was necessary at the time."

"Elena could benefit from hearing the same things that you just told me. You're using Enzo as some sort of band-aid to what you did to your relationship with her. It's time to rip it off and live the life you want." He walked beside him and whispered in his ear. "She deserves that."

He sighed and turned around and spoke to Alaric's retreating form. "Where are you going?"

"To sit in the car. The mosquitos are killing me out here. Just let me know when you're done."


	9. Chapter 9

"Those poor children," Bonnie said wiping at her eyes with a Kleenex. Thanks to her hormones and the constant need to have a good cry she was never to far without them. Damon had banned her from watching the news for this very reason.

"What did i tell you about watching the news?" Damon asked leaning over the couch and taking the remote from her hand.

"No don't turn it off. Its the children Mason killed."

Damon swallowed the lump in his throat as he peered at the screen. One by one the faces of the dead children flashed across the screen. Like a movie reel he saw their smiles as they laughed at their favorite cartoon and there cries as he teared into their throats. "I'm sorry."

"Baby, I see our little one is rubbing off on you too." Bonnie smiled reaching up and rubbing Damon's hands comfortingly. "I know that you probably wish you could have done more."

"No, I don't. I did enough." Damon snapped harsher than he intended as they flashed a picture of the loan surviving boy.

Bonnie glanced back at the screen. "Maybe, we should all go to the funeral and pay our respects."

"I think that would be a great idea." Caroline exclaimed carrying Emma in on her hip.

"Getting a bit morbid there, mate." Enzo chuckled carrying in her groceries. "Only you could find a reason to be chipper about going to a child's funeral."

Caroline frowned. "Go upstairs to your room and play, Ems." She kissed her little girl on the forehead before she ran up the stairs. "Thats not what I meant. I just meant like its our fault they were targeted in the first place. We should care enough to pay our respects for their grieving parents and pray for their souls."

Enzo looked at Damon and said what he was sure his mate was thinking. "Some of our prayers wont be heard."

"It doesn't hurt to try," Elena said appearing in the doorway. "I rushed over as soon as Caroline said you guys were finished."

"Tell me again why Stefan, didnt go with?" Damon asked glad for the distraction.

"They make parents volunteer for the after-school program. We did rock, paper, scissors for it and Stefan loss," said Caroline picking up the discarded bags and carrying them into the kitchen.

"So is this official. Does everyone want to go to the funeral?" Elena asked looking around at everyone.

"Sure," said Damon through gritted teeth.

"You don't have too. If it scares you," Bonnie mumbled so that only Damon could hear as she rubbed her stomach. Worried that his fear somehow stemmed from their own baby worries.

"No, I need to go."

"I'll call the station and get the details," said Elena noticing that they had already missed the information. Since the weather man was now on talking about the forecast. She left the living room and headed up the stairs for a little more quiet.

"Elena, wait -"

"I found away to track the angel," Alaric said breathlessly running into the room with Stefan on his heels. "We've been over thinking things."

"How so?" Caroline asked coming back into the kitchen after hearing all of the commotion.

"We're assuming because he's an angel that he has to be resting in some mystical angelic place. But we know of none in this plane or the next. So maybe thats not where he is."

"He has to hide in the shadows just like the rest of us," Stefan chipped in.

"I find it highly unlikely that will find this angel at the Four Seasons because if you look around this aint exactly hiding, mate." Enzo snorted.

"Lets assume that this is his first foray on Earth. If he needs a quiet place to hide and recuperate there's only one place he can go."

"The cemetary," Bonnie spoke up.

"Exactly," Alaric said almost giddy.

"Even if that's true how do you expect us to kill him?" Enzo asked wanting to get to the fun part.

"We cant. At least I don't know how, but we can trap him until we figure it out."

"An Angel as a hostage. Theirs a special place in hell for all of us," said Enzo sitting on a chair across on the side of the couch.

"This is for Vanessa and those dead children," Caroline spoke up going to Stefan's side.

Enzo looked at Damon out of the corner of his eye who seemed to physically cringe at the mention of the children.

"This is for our children. Emma and Bonnie's unborn child. It could have just as easily been them," Caroline said clutching at her chest.

"It never could have been them. It would never be them. I promise," said Damon.

Enzo got up and stood at his friends side. "Easy now."

Damon snapped out of his anguish to look at his friend. "Yeah."

"No one would let that happen, Damon. But Veronica's life is at stake and this Angel has proven that he will stop at nothing to win his prize," Alaric said.

"How are we going to trap him?" Bonnie asked grabbing Damon's hand.

"Well thats where you come in. I need you to tell me if there was anything he was afraid of or tried to avoid? Nothing is too small or insignificant." Alaric said waiting.

"Nothing, he was normal up until the day i . . . i lost Damon." Bonnie said raking her brain although the memories were already beginning to feel like it was so much time ago. "He was a typical guy."

"Any foods he wouldn't eat or places he wouldnt go?" Caroline asked hoping to jog a memory.

Bonnie shook her head. "I dont remember."

"It's alright. Don't let them push you," said Damon coming around the couch to sit beside her. Draping his arm around her shoulders.

"No ones trying to push her Damon. We just want answers," Stefan said annoyed at his brother.

Bonnie nodded and cleared her mind thinking back to the moments when she first met Mason. Waking up in his apartment, his bed. "Mirrors, he didn't have any around the house. Not even in the bathroom. He said he just wasn't one of those superficial guys who cared about looks."

"And you took him at his word?" Alaric finished.

"Why shouldn't I." Bonnie said feeling like a fool. "I joked that women just didn't work that way and I asked if i could get a mirror for the bathroom at least. He said yeah. Their wasn't anything i would ask for that he didnt give me. But then he stopped using the bathroom."

Enzo laughed out loud. "You mean he soiled himself."

"No, I mean he would come home with excuse's that he showered at school or used the bathroom at work. I mean that I never saw him actually go into the bathroom after that. But i was going through other things." Bonnie said looking at Damon. "I didn't actually have time to count how many times he showered. I didn't really care about what happened to him. Maybe I would have noticed these things before if I had've."

"But there are mirrors everywhere. Especially in the school bathrooms," Caroline shrugged looking at Bonnie doubtfully.

"But as she just said. She doesn't really know if he used them. For all we know Angel's don't go number 2," Alaric said thoughtfully.

"Oh no," Enzo said shaking his head. "This plan thats forming sounds like a big If and i'm not running into this Angels den without some certainty that I will come out alive."

"I hate to agree with anything Enzo says, but he's right. What exactly are we supposed to do walk in with hand mirrors and wave them around. Hoping that he will melt like the wicked witch of the west."

"The abandoned Carnival that's supposed to be torn down this week," Stefan said remembering having rode past it and the thousands of questions that it gave Emma. "There's an old hall of mirrors there. We can trap him there and figure out away to move him once he's incapacitated."

"How do you suppose to get him there from the cemetery that's across town?" Enzo asked still not completely sold.

"By pretending to give him what he's looking for. Will use Veronica as bate," Stefan said.

"Now you're speaking my language," Enzo smiled slyly. If things go awry he can always shove the girl into the box with the angel and this whole nightmare would be over he thought to himself. Maybe his friend could sleep more peacefully he thought looking at him.

"Where is she now?" Alaric asked curiously.

"Jeremy's keeping her company about town, but we can call them when we're ready," Stefan offered.

"Wont we have to convince her to do this?" Damn wondered.

"Oh allow me. I could use some practice on my convincing skills," offered Enzo.

"No, let Elena do it and will reconvene in front of the cemetery at sundown. It goes without saying, but bring extra mirrors just in case," Alaric said standing up to leave as he had somethings to do back at his apartment.

Elena walked down the stairs. "Sorry about that guys, but i had elevator music blaring in my ears as they had me on hold. But the funeral is this Friday."

"Good, when we pay our respects we can let the parents know that the killer is truely among the dead," said Bonnie a hardness in her voice.

"Do we have a plan?" she asked looking at Stefan.

"We have a plan."


	10. Chapter 10

Damon revved the engine outside of the cemetery gate. They had been here for thirty minutes now and still there was no signs of the winged one. Everyone was waiting at their perspective positions. Everyone except Bonnie who Damon insisted should be the one staying home on babysitting duty. He wouldn't have his wife and the mother of his child in danger. There was only one person that he trusted to stay behind and ensure her safety and that was Enzo. Although, he would owe him a huge favor for sitting this one out. "Maybe you should stick your head out the window."

Vanessa cut her eyes at him. "Like some puppy."

"I'd tell you to get out, but then you'd be ripe for the picking. So be a good girl and stick your head out the window. Or I'm going to have to take you home," he said snidely rolling down the window.

She sighed heavily and unbuckled her seat belt the rough leather slipping through her fingers. She peered back at the locked gate and the empty sky with nothing, but the moonlight for company. "Here, Angel, boy. Here boy. Come and get me."

Damon snorted looking up at his rearview mirror any second now he was just going to shove her out of the car and take his chances.

Heavy combat boots dented the hood of his car as the Angel landed in the middle. The sound of metal bending to his will striking fear into even Damon's heart. Damon wasted no time shifting the car into reverse. Knocking the Angel from his perch. He reached over and pulled Vanessa back into the car by her waistband before shifting the car into gear and tearing out of their. "Shut up."

"I didn't say anything." Vanessa squealed the fear building as she looked towards the back of the car to see the Angel running full speed towards them.

"You're breathing too loud." He said switching gears on his clutch.

She sat back on her seat hitting her head on the passenger door as he made a sharp turn. She fastened her seat belt and looked over at the focused face of Damon. "Why are you driving a stick shift anyway?"

"Really." He replied looking out his rearview mirror to see the Angel gone. "I'm trying to save your life and your worried about my car."

"It was just a question," she said looking up at the sky through the front windshield.

"I like to be in control of my own destiny. Even with my car." Damon replied after some moments before briefly looking over to her.

"I think he's gone," she said looking out of her window, but scared to roll it down.

"Not by any stretch of the imagination. But we're almost there. Just around this bend." He said looking at the thick tree line looming ahead of them. The only light on the road coming from the street lamps. He pushed down on the brakes as a deer came into their path. Narrowly avoiding a conclusion with the animal, but skidding straight into a pole. Hitting his head on the steering wheel.

He groaned inwardly before their was a loud clang on the top of his car. He looked out of the windshield to see the pole bending toward the car. He looked over to Veronica who was now unconsciousness. He unbuckled his seat and moved to shake the girl. But instead of saying wake up blood poured from his mouth. He looked down at his chest to see that the jagged end of the pole was now buried into his stomach. His trembling hand reached for the pole even as his vision went in and out of focus. Trying to pull the offending object out, but all he heard was the crack of his ribs as he tried.

Vanessa let out a piercing scream beside him.

He looked over at her his hands now covered in his own blood. "Go." He said pushing her weakly towards the passenger side door.

She pushed hard on the door and ran out into the open. Looking back only once to see the Angel breaking the glass on the drivers side window.

"Just a little gift," said Mason peering into the broken window. The shards of glass all over Damon's person.

Blood was filling Damon's mouth. He spit it out landing on Mason's face.

He chuckled and wiped the offending substance from his cheek with the back of his gauntlet. "You should die for what you did to those children. But there are other ways to punish you." He glanced down the road to the young woman who had already disappeared. He wasn't the least bit worried about being able to catch up to her. He snapped his fingers and the hood of the car was instantly engulfed in flames. "If you had've spent even a moment longer in hell where you belonged. Your back wouldn't be the only thing that's damaged. I may be accepting this girl as poor substitution for your friends mistakes. But we will meet again and I'll gladly kill you with my bare hands."

With that he took off on black wings that seemed to stretch the length of his person. As he glided smoothly threw the air like a bird and towards Vanessa.

Vanessa's feet hit pounded the pavement as she tried to remember the plan B. Which seemed to rely heavily on her being able to memorize maps. "Left turn at the fork in the road. Turn down the dirt road at the bent stop sign." She said her feet skidding across the dirt as she tripped over her own feet. She looked up to see Stefan and Caroline holding open the rickety gates for her.

"Get up." Caroline yelled unsure if the girl could even hear her from her stance by the gates. She looked up at the sky and all she could see was the faint outline of wings. They were definitely to big to be any bird she had ever seen.

Vanessa made it to her feet and ran towards the couple.

Stefan looked with curious eyes as he realized that she was alone and not with Damon. He looked up at the Angel that was rapidly approaching. "She's not going to make it." He looked at Caroline for confirmation.

"Go for it."

He used his vampire speed to reach her side in record time. But not before being grabbed from behind and lifted 40 feet into the air and dropped on the ground with a thud.

"Stefan's hurt." Vanessa said reaching Caroline's side.

Caroline grabbed her hand and took off for the mirrors. "We just have to pray that he will be fine."

They both fell as a streak of white light hit the ground in front of them. Caroline looked up to see him holding an axe and aiming the top of the head towards them. "Let's move." Pulling the girls lanky arms towards her.

They zig zagged trying to avoid the sprays of concrete and dirt that exploded into the air. Caroline took the girl under her arms covering her head against any falling debris. She looked up long enough to see the big box top tent in the distance. She made a bee-line for the open entrance. It was dark inside and they could barely see two feet in front of each other.

"We're like sitting ducks in here." Vanessa exclaimed looking back to the only entrance.

"I'm sorry. I just need a moment to think." She said wondering if Stefan was okay.

Another bolt hit the tent setting the tent on fire as the blot hit the ground. Briefly lighting up the room and displaying rows upon rows of stands. Caroline pushed her into a small darkened corner behind the stands. "Find away out and make it to the mirrors. I'll keep him busy." Caroline ran to the center of the stands held up by one wooden pole that seemed to be on fire and stared out of the gapping whole. "You cant have her."

"I'm sorry Caroline. It's not up to you to decide," he said hovering over the whole in the tent. "Forgive me. For I must do my duty." He said aiming his weapon towards the pole sending it exploding into a thousand little pieces as the tent cover collapsed all around her. He watched with bated breath for the figure of Vanessa to appear. He noticed movement out of the corner of his eye and laid eyes on Vanessa. Running past a merry - go - round into a small white building that was devoid of any name. He floated to the ground and put his wings away. Walking casually to the building whistling a tune that he heard on the radio that morning.

Jeremy squatted down on the merry-go-round behind a large horse in the hopes that he wouldn't be seen as the angel stamped right passed him. He stood up slowly and crept behind the Angel's back. He caught him off guard grabbing the axe from his hand and kicked him in his side sending the man flying into the hall of mirrors. He heard the loud screams from the creature immediately his first sign that it was actually working. He barged towards the door closing it behind the creature. He grabbed the end of the axe and hooked it through the doors successfully securing the door in place. He pulled a small hand held mirror out of his jacket pocket and held it against him as if it were a cross. He hoped that he hadn't just locked Vanessa in there with him.

Vanessa burst through the door at the back of the building. Elena got out of her car and rushed towards her. "Are you alright?"

"I don't know if he was following me. We have to bar the door." She said almost out of breath.

Elena looked around and saw an industrial size garbage can nearby. "Help me push."

They heaved the medium sized green garbage can in front of the door and collapsed against it relieved. Elena was just glad that it was empty.

"Oh my God."

"What! What?" Elena claimed looking around wildly afraid that the Angel had managed to find another way out.

"My hands are covered in some sort of sticky goo," she said frowning and looking at the garbage can with disgust.

Elena smiled. "I have some hand sanitizer in the car."

"We can probably meet up with the others now," Vanessa stated. "Oh my God Damon."

On the other side of the building Jeremy dared to look through the small window on the door. He didn't see the Angel anywhere until he was screaming into the window. Jeremy recoiled by pure reflects glad that the glass was shatter proof after the angel began to bang on the window.

"Hey, you good here. We got to go rescue Damon," Elena yelled leaning down to yell out of the passenger side window.

"Yeah, go," he said waving them off. The door was holding and he suspected that the man's axe was in no danger of bending.

He looked back to the window to find the man gone. He walked to the window careful of the man jumping out at him.

"Please, have mercy. Let me out of here."

"You're trying to hurt someone that I'm sworn to protect. I cant let you go." Jeremy said squinting to see into the darkened room. His reflection in the mirrors looking back at him.

"If I tell you the secret that Damon is keeping from everyone including Bonnie. Will you let me go?" the Angel said standing with his eyes closed off to the side of the door.

"You're lying."

The Angel stifled a laugh. "Something I am not capable of doing."

"I'm going to need some sign that its even worth the risk. I'm going against my family for this," Jeremy said looking away from the window. He was starting to feel like he was talking to himself.

The Angel sighed. He wasn't prepared to lose all of his leverage, but he didn't see any other way out of this predicament. "Damon's flesh has been peeled from his skin. You need only check by looking on his back."

"Why would that matter to me. Vampires do heal after all?" He said annoyed that he was going to give up his.

"Not from wounds inflicted during his time in Kahlan . . . in your words hell."

Jeremy lifted the axe from the door and stepped back. Training it on the entrance just in case the Angel got any bright ideas. He pushed open the door and collapsed in the doorway. "I'm sure the guys will be back any minute now. So you may want to speed this up."

"He killed the children. He massacred them one by one while Enzo watched. Under the guise that he did it to overcome Kahlan, but we both know that it is in his nature. He need no excuse to be a monster." The Angel said standing up and leaning against the door jamb for help.

"Go." Jeremy said unable to say anything else as he mulled over this new information in his head.

The Angel sprouted wings and took to the air. But not before calling his weapon to him.

It heated up in Jeremy's hand. He cried out in pain dropping it on to the ground before it took its rightful place in the Angel's hand.

"Jeremy what happened," Elena cried piling out of the car with Caroline and Vanessa by her side.

"No time we've got to get Damon back home. He's lost a lot of blood," Caroline replied looking up at the sky. "And at lest for now our problem is gone."


	11. Chapter 11

**Warning:** I don't condone hitting women, but I thought some readers might want a warning some hints of domestic violence in this chapter.

* * *

Jeremy stayed silent on the ride home. He volunteered to ride with Elena and Vanessa in his car. Unsure of what he might do if he took the car with Caroline and Stefan. Damon hunched over in the back. He might be tempted to pull out his silver daggers and cauterize the wound ensuring that it took even longer for him to heal.

"Did anyone call, Alaric?"

"Yeah I did. I thought he might want to check up on Damon." Elena replied staring at her brother through the rearview mirror.

"Good thinking." Jeremy replied rubbing his aching palms on his jeans. The roughness of the fabric was somehow soothing. He wanted Alaric to be there. He wanted him to finally see Damon for the selfish monster that Jeremy always knew he was. He wanted Bonnie. He wanted Bonnie to be out of danger. The physical and the emotional kind.

"I had to update him on the where abouts of our Angel. He actually seemed disappointed. Like maybe he wanted to grill him on the after life," Elena said the amusement in her eyes evident.

"I'm sure its very beautiful I would just prefer not to see it before I'm ready." Vanessa responded unconsciously clutching her seat belt as they passed the spot where Damon crashed the car. It was still stuck in the pole a glaring sign to the fact that she almost died and had someone else killed. Even though he was already dead.

Jeremy wanted to reply back that it wasn't up to her when she died. In fact the universe was telling her that now was the time by sending a hulking angel after her. If they had any real say in life or death. Bonnie never would have died in the first place. He would go back in time and tell her not to do it and insist on it. She would never fall in love with Damon or wind up back on earth carrying his love child. Jeremy was pulled from his thoughts as they parked the car in front of the Salvatore's home.

"Hey." Elena replied good naturedly upon seeing her friend Alaric exit the car next to hers.

"Hey. How's Damon doing?" Alaric asked pulling his messenger bag out of the back seat.

"Hopefully, in there sucking down 10 bags of bag."

The scene in the living room was a chaotic one. White towels covered in blood littered the floor next to the couch. Bonnie sat cradling Damon's head in her lap and Enzo stood in the corner observing the scene like some weird pervert.

"What can I do?" Elena asked throwing herself into the mix. Were Damon laid on the couch apparently unconscious.

"Grab more blood bags from the cellar," Stefan commanded ripping the dark grey polo shirt from off his brothers shoulders.

Jeremy covered his nose the stench of the blood activating his gag reflex.

Elena returned practically dumping the bags at Damon's feet. Stefan sat on the edge of the couch and grabbed bag after bag. Ripping it open and pouring it down his brothers throat one at a time. The gaping whole in his stomach slowly began to close.

"More." Damon mumbled the fog over his mind lifting as he took the bags from his brothers hands.

"That's the last one," Elena replied watching on hopelessly. Wishing she was the one holding Damon's hands right now instead of Bonnie.

Damon sat up and grabbed the bag at his feet. The pain from his back rearing its ugly head just as the wound on his stomach healed.

"Oh my God." Bonnie said getting up from the couch as she covered her mouth with her hand. A small amount of Damon's blood finding its way onto her nose. The gaping whole was healing, but it was being replaced by more scar tissue on his back. "His backs not healing."

Stefan moved his brother's shoulder to get a better look. And she was right. He had never seen anything quite like it before. Was the angel really capable of doing this kind of damage.

Enzo watched the scene nervously as his jaw began to clench. He looked up to see Jeremy's eyes on him as if he already knew.

In one smooth move Jeremy pulled out his crossbow strapped to his back and sent an arrow spiraling into Enzo's shoulder. As it wedged into the wall behind him.

"Going somewhere."

"Jeremy, what the hell are you doing?" Elena exclaimed jumping to Enzo's defense as she pushed Jeremy back.

"The angel didn't escape. I let him go. For a mutual exchange of information."

"What?" Stefan asked in disbelief the memory of the Angel dropping him from the sky fresh in his mind. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that if Damon was going to lie to us. I wanted to be the first in line to hear all about it. I just don't want his partner in crime over there making his great escape." Jeremy sneered.

Enzo cried out in pain as he tried fruitlessly to pull the arrow out of the wall and out of his shoulder.

"What did he say? That could possibly matter enough to put Vanessa's life in danger. The person that we all swore to protect. I mean come on Jer. You mean your unrequited love for Bonnie mattered more than bringing a child murderer to justice." Alaric said a little disgusted by the whole scene as he backed away from Jeremy.

"You all are eating dinner every night with the man that killed those babies." He turned his gaze to his sister who was still holding him back. "That's right the angel didn't kill those children. Damon and Enzo did."

"Why would Damon do something like that?" Bonnie asked her voice a quiver of its former self.

"That little gift on his back was courtesy of the hell dimension he was stuck in." Jeremy said adjusting his jacket as his sister let him go.

Elena used her vampire speed to cross the room and stand in front of Enzo. Her eyes shining from unshed tears. "Tell me you didn't kill children?"

"Oh and thanks a lot for keeping that little secret from us _Bons_. Maybe this all could have been avoided. If you hadn't have turned into a liar just like your husband." Jeremy spat fueled by his anger over the situation, but also pent up rage about their break up.

She crossed her arms over her chest as the sinking feeling in her stomach increased.

"That's what you were doing outside with Enzo the evening after Vanessa had arrived." Stefan asked looking down on his brother who hadn't moved a muscle from his seat on the couch. Hanging his head in his hands. No snarky reply of denial. No remorse. Stefan didn't know what was worse the fact that he killed these innocent children. Or that he didn't think his brother was worthy enough to share his pain. "You were telling Enzo what happened to you."

"Why? Why would you kill children! Why?" Bonnie demanded as she bent on her knees at his feet and pummeled his face and chest with her fists. His would completely closed by now.

Damon grabbed her fists pushing her back gently. Caroline was at her side pulling her up and away from the traitor.

"It was my idea," Enzo said through gritted teeth. "Now do me a solid love and pull the silver arrow out of my shoulder."

"That's right have each others back. Tell me Stefan where do you exactly fit in with this little trio?" Jeremy smirked.

"Enough." Alaric declared giving him a hard stare.

Elena turned her attention back to Enzo. Her voice somber. "What could you have possibly done to him to convince him to do such a thing?"

"Its nothing I did, love. I was simply trying to help a friend and cure that little problem he's havin' with his back."

"But as you can tell it only served in returning patches of my skin. So I knew it wouldn't be worth doing again." Damon supplied unable to look at the faces of disapproval he knew was surely staring back at him.

"Oh that's all." Caroline snorted. "You're a monster."

"Do you regret it?" Bonnie asked standing on her two feet where before she was leaning on Caroline for support.

Damon looked at Enzo who was still pinned to the wall and back to the face of his wife.

"No, I don't. I didn't kill them for sport. I did it to try to save my life. It worked, but the price was too high and I'd never do it again. But I cant say I completely regret it. It saddens me that it hurts you so much." He said leveling his blue eyes to her.

Enzo wasn't interested in what Damon had to say. He watched his girlfriend who couldn't seem to tear her eyes off her ex since they got here. "I suppose bad attention is better than no attention at all from the one you love."

She turned at him giving a hard stare as she wiped at her eyes. "Don't start."

"Maybe I'll level a whole city block the next time. Going after the women and children first and maybe you would be bothered to give me even an ounce of your time. The man you claim to love," He screamed furious now. "Now pull out the bloody arrow."

She yanked the arrow out of his shoulder and hit him in the face breaking his nose. He bawled up his fist and punched her in the face sending her careening to the ground.

Jeremy lifted his cross bow pulling out another arrow. Ready to send it flying into the ancient vampire's heart.

"Don't." Bonnie said placing a hand on Jeremy's shoulder.

"You cant be giving them a free pass, right now?" Jeremy exclaimed his arm trembling from the sheer force of holding the arrow back.

"Get out," she croaked looking at Enzo. She cleared her throat. "Both of you. And don't return."


	12. Chapter 12

The door slammed firmly closed.

"You're just letting them go." Jeremy yelled preferring instead that she yell and scream and throw a few stakes first before just letting them walk off into the sunset. Or at least give him permission to do it. He helped his sister from off the ground and looked at the wound forming over her eye, but it was already healing.

"I'm fine, Jer," Elena replied swatting his hand away before sitting on the couch previously occupied by Damon.

"I hate to admit it, but I agree with Jeremy -"

"Oh, you hate to admit it. Say how you really feel Alaric." Jeremy said interrupting the mans speal in no mood for his judgements.

Alaric continued on. "We cant just let them go. There has to be some sort of consequence for their actions. They killed children." Alaric said looking around the group that now appeared brow beaten.

"What would you demand from the father of my child?" She asked turning towards Alaric. She pushed away from Caroline and stood on her own furious at them all. "A pound of flesh?" She asked leveling a hard gaze towards Stefan. "Death as fitting revenge." She said staring directly at Jeremy. "Sorry too disappoint you all, but he's given that ten fold."

"Why don't you just tell us what happened?" Elena said soothingly.

"Glad too," Bonnie smirked rubbing her belly as she paced the floor in the small space in front of the fireplace. She illicited a small laugh before she began again. "You dropped him." She looked up at Stefan with renewed tears in her eyes. "Time moves extremely fast there."

"You didn't lose him for just a few minutes." Vanessa said hovering in a corner in the shadows thinking she might already know what happened.

"I lost track of the days, he was gone so long, and then the months. Hoping he would just come back to me. Until I had had it and I went to the only person I knew who might help me. Mason, and I found out that he is so much more than he appears to be. He tells me that Damon is in Kalosi the supernatural equivalent to hell. And there was no way for me to get him out of it. Unless I was down there with him and a fat good that would do the both of us."

"Oh my God, Bonnie don't tell me you went down there with him?" Elena exclaimed looking at her friend with new eyes.

"I fell from grace and landed in Kalosi."

"What about the baby?" Alaric asked confused.

Bonnie looked down at her stomach afraid to admit her next statements. "I didn't want to be in Kahlan without him. I didn't want to be alone. So I jumped even knowing that I might lose my child."

"Who are you? The Bonnie I knew would never even consider something like that. Least of all for Damon." Jeremy said his gaze shifting from Caroline back to Elena for backup.

"He's right, Bonnie. Did something more happen to while you were over there. Maybe something that Mason did? Or Damon?" Caroline interceded.

"No, of course not. At the time I didn't even know if the baby was human. Least of all Damon's. We were theorizing that it could be some demon parasite for all we know. So I hadn't formed the bond with it that I do now. It was just this thing occupying my body. Obviously if I had to make that same decision again right now. I wouldn't." Bonnie said her frustration reaching their boiling point again as she looked up towards the ceiling for help.

Everyone seemed to visibly release a sigh of relief.

"What happened in Kalosi?" Vanessa asked bringing everyone's attention back to what was important. Just in case the answer to her problem was somewhere in Bonnie's time away.

"Mason gave me my powers back. It was the only protection he would offer me while I was down there. I had some close calls with some scary looking monsters until I found Damon. Beaten within an inch of his life. If you had seen him then you'd know he had died several times before I reached him. And before I could do anything to help you grabbed us and here we are. I had no clue that the damage done to him followed him into this life."

"You cant explain away everything he did by saying that it was all Stefan's fault." Alaric said always the voice of reason.

"Can't I?"

"Woah be careful Bonnie. I know you're in shock -" Caroline said taking a step closer to Stefan.

"You had no reason to believe that we were in trouble?"

"I had no reason to believe you weren't? And I needed him here. We all did." Stefan said casting a quick glance to Elena.

"You needed him here to suffer."

"He could of just told me! Instead he went to Enzo the greatest fuck up since . . . Damon." Stefan said feeling very weary all of a sudden.

"He didn't want you to feel guilty about any of it." She explained surprised that this hadn't occurred to Stefan. She turned toward Alaric. "And he didn't want your pity."

"And what about you. Why didn't he tell you?" Jeremy asked looking at her with concern in his eyes.

"The reason he doesn't let me do anything that I used to do. I'm his pregnant wife nothing to him is worth causing me pain or stress."

"So he went to Enzo who was all to eager to help him solve his problem or enjoy making it worse." Elena said snidely upset that she had ever considered being with the vampire especially after Damon returned. She should have known something was wrong. She should have none something was up with Enzo and that he was keeping all these lies from her.

"It sounds like you have already forgiven him. Do you think the parents of those children would extend the same mercy?" Jeremy asked seeing that he would not get through to her with logic. That he would appeal to her new sense of motherhood.

She looked at him a coldness behind her eyes that seemed to be plucked from the sky. "No. Which is why he will pay dearly for this mistake." She looked back at the ashes in the unlit fireplace before making her way over to the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Caroline asked.

"I have to pee for the twentieth time today." She rested her arm on the bannister. "And i'm actually pretty tired."

"Yes go. I think we all have a lot to mull over. Why don't we all just go home." Elena interjected standing up.

"I'm already home." Caroline said wrapping her arms around her chest. Not happy at all with the mess she was going to be cleaning up.

"Yes, but when was the last time you kissed Emma. Maybe you should take Vanessa over to your moms and pick up Emma." Elena suggested.

Caroline bit her lip and looked over at Stefan. "Do you think its safe?"

"Yes, for now anyway. I'll have this cleaned up way before she steps her little feet on the hardwoods," He smiled warmly giving her a much needed embrace and kiss on the forehead.

"I'll help to." Alaric said not really wanting to go home alone just yet.

"Aren't you staying with Enzo?" Jeremy asked looking at his sister. "Where will you go now?"

Elena hadn't even allowed herself to think about it. To concerned about what they might be up to now without anyone to babysit them. "I'm not sure."

"Stay with me." Alaric offered. "At least until you figure things out. The same goes for you to Jeremy."

"No thanks." Jeremy smiled half-heartedly. "I'm staying with Matt."

"Yeah, sounds like a plan." She offered already moving to the door.

"So where just going to go home and forget that she admitted that she wasn't going to do anything about Damon and Enzo!" Veronica said looking at Caroline and Stefan in particular.

"I don't think that's what she said." Caroline said running her hands through her hair as her brow furrowed.

"That's exactly what she said. Damon's a monster and if she's not going too do it. We have to protect her and her child from herself." Veronica said vehemently bawling up her fist and hitting her hand.

"Were already protecting you from the Angel. I don't think you want to be adding Damon to your list of enemies. Not right now anyway." Stefan said trying to hide his anger. She didn't know Damon and he couldn't help but hate the fact that she felt like she had a right to judge his fate.

"That's true." Alaric said after a long pause.

"He's not going to get away with this. Neither of them are and you have my word as a vampire slayer," Jeremy said looking Vanessa straight in the eye as he placed his hands on her shoulders.

Stefan's nostrils flared. "Don't make promises Jeremy. Are concern is recapturing this Angel that now knows that we know his secret. The Angel you let go because being right was more important than ending this torture for _poor_ _Vanessa_."

"The way I see it you should be thanking me for exposing Damon's little untruths. It's not like he had enough faith in you to tell you on his own."

Stefan sucked in a sharp breath.

"Let's just go." Caroline said rolling her eyes at the young Jeremy. She gave Stefan one last hug and whispered in his ear. "I know you're conflicted about this. And I'll support you in whatever you decide, but you must know where I stand in this."

"Where is Elena?" Alaric asked looking around wide eyed for his missing friend.

Caroline snorted. "Getting herself in some trouble."


	13. Chapter 13

Enzo stands in the shadows as he waited patiently in the alley of the club for Damon to finish. They were on victim number six and Enzo hated to admit it, but it was all getting a tad bit old. He saw a rat scurrying behind a garbage can out of the corner of his and he smiled to himself wondering if Stefan would like them to bring home some take out for dinner. Maybe that would get him to forgive them. But he shook the notion from his head as quickly as it came. He didn't need the old gent's approval. And Damon would be better for it as soon as he realized that he didn't need any of them. He looked at his watch wondering if he might call it a night. Then he heard it as clear as day the slowing of the woman's heart. The beat slower than the leaking drain pipe from off the building.

"Stop it mate. You're killing her." Enzo said placing a firm hand on his friends shoulder, without pulling him away.

He whirled on him his eyes black, blood dripping from the corners of his mouth. "Go away."

"You know as well as I do that you will surely parish. I never took you for the suicide type. Kind of cowardly, mate." He replied stepping away from his friend. Knowing that he wouldn't respond to being attacked or forced to do something. He had to make this decision on his own.

"I am nothing of the sorts." He said dropping the girl's limp body on the ground before throwing his friend violently against the brick wall.

"You're going to want to rethink that." Enzo said peeling his friends hands off the collar of his leather jacket and pushing him back.

"Bonnie and the others would probably agree with you, the coward thing." Damon said unable to look his friend in the eye as he stared at the ground.

Enzo went over to the girl and lifted her into his arms. He could still hear her heartbeat however faint. "What are you feeling right now remorse, regret, pain?"

"It barely worked."

"But as you said we had to try. And all those emotions swirling around in that little head of yours still points to the fact that you're the old Damon that they know and love. And will want back as soon as they need you." He replied before taking the girl and carrying her over to their waiting car.

"Like the fact that you haven't eaten all day only happens when you are trying to repent for your actions. And theirs only one person that you would go through all the trouble for." Damon said watching his friend closely.

Enzo leaned over to open the handle of the door and placed the unconscious girl in the back seat. "Do you think we should take her to the hospital?"

Enzo's voice was muffled and all Damon heard was the word hospital. "Were not taking her anywhere, but home. And don't pretend like you didn't hear what I said before. Are you on some sort of fast because of Elena? Wasting away slowly. Cowardly, I think."

"We have a long night ahead of us before we get this mess all cleaned up before sunrise. So were not talking about this alright, Mate." Enzo said slamming the passenger side door closed.

"Whose idea was this?" Damon replied in a sing-song voice. "I bet you it was Elena."

Enzo avoided his gaze looking at the other cars that crowded the rather large parking lot.

"Right. You do something she doesn't approve of and you have to walk through fire to make it up to her. Even if it feels like you're dying inside."

Enzo pushed past him. "I'm going to get her belongings that you sprayed across the alley when you ripped her purse from her hands."

"Don't ignore me."

"What does it matter to you? Have you ever looked twice at my relationship with Elena outside of thanking me for taking her off your hands." He said glancing across the parking lot to the front door where the security guard stood. He had yet to notice them as a few patrons trickled in and out drunkenly.

"I've seen more than you realize. And I didn't say anything because I didn't want you to think that all I wanted was her back."

Enzo turned to face him. "And you don't?"

"I'm saying what you would have wanted your friend to tell you along time ago." Damon said stepping closer to him. "That she's not over her ex and what she's doing to you now is cruel."

"You sonofabitch." He lunged at Damon pushing him against the car and hit him two times across Damon's jaw.

Damon used his super speed and lifted him off the ground slamming him into the hood of the silver Toyota parked next to them. Setting off the car's alarm.

"What the hell is going on here?" Elena said using her speed to come between the two friends before Damon elicited another blow. "You're drawing attention to yourselves."

 **Back at the Salvatores . . .**

Bonnie went through her closet and pulled out the new pajamas that Damon had taken her to go get at the new Maternity Department Store. A purple silk tee and pants set with white lace trim that he insisted she buy. She put the hanger up against her and stared into the floor length mirror. He claimed that he was tired of her wearing baggy clothes that weren't meant for pregnancy. He wanted her to experience everything that pregnancy had to offer.

'And that means being beautiful and comfortable.'

She was snapped out of her thoughts by a knock on her door. She threw the set on her bed and wobbled over to the door. "Jeremy."

"We need to talk."

"I was just going to take a shower and I really need sleep."

"No worries it won't take long."

She stepped to the side and let him in. Groaning as the door squeaked to a close. She had been asking Damon to fix it since forever. I guess she now knew why he never got around to it. Shaking the image of his torn and battered flesh from her mind.

"I just -" He stopped turning around to look at her. Their were bags under her eyes and her hair was a mess. Damon's blood was still on her light blue sundress. And yet he still thought she was beautiful. "I just need to know how this happened to us."

She frowned. "What?"

He looked away and stammered, "That's not what I came up here to say, but its just as valid. How did all this happen?"

She walked past him and took a seat on the small leather chaise at the foot of the bed that she shared with Damon. "Death is a long time. Death changes people. It changed me and Damon. It changed Elena and Stefan."

"It didn't change me."

She looked into his eyes not having the heart to tell him that it did change him. It made him colder. Maybe that wasn't death, maybe that was just the way she had treated him.

"And the Bonnie I know wouldn't have changed so much that she would ever consider giving Damon a pass on killing children."

"I'm not giving him a pass," She said through gritted teeth.

"But you cant help, but understand why he did it. Bonnie that might as well be the same thing," He said looking down at her. "Is this because you don't want to raise the baby alone?"

She picked at her nails. "Don't you dare -"

"That's not what I'm saying." He moved to sit next to her on the small stool.

Bonnie scooted to the edge feeling suddenly uncomfortable.

"I know that as a mother your only concern is making the best decision for your baby. I just want you to know that you're not alone. You don't need Damon. You have Caroline and she seems to have this mommy thing down to a science. And you have Alaric the doting uncle and babysitter. And you have me. I would love your baby as if it were my own."

She bit her lip and smiled placing her hand on his knee. "That's the sweetest thing I've heard all day. He or she would be lucky to have a man like you in their life, but Jeremy you aren't the baby's father."

"Why because you don't want me to be!" He exploded standing up almost sending her crashing to the ground.

She sucked in a harsh breath and sat in the middle of the chaise to balance out her weight. Clutching her chest as she tried to control her quickening pulse. "It's not like that. This child is half me and half him."

"Which is why you should want to do everything in your power to ensure that the baby doesn't turn out like him."

"Like what, Jeremy." Her expression tight as she glared at him. "Because I know who he is when he's not the Big, Bad Vamp. He's kind and loyal to a fault. And he cares for others and when he's hurt he doesn't cry. He gets even and maybe that's not always the best approach to things. But there are far worse things in this world than being a little bit of me and a little bit of him. And this child will be all the best things. He's the father. And as much as you will it so. You are not."

He smacked his lips. "Vanessa is our priority now. Keeping her safe. After that I'll worry about keeping your child safe . . . from Damon."

"Jeremy." Bonnie exclaimed getting to her feet.

He ignored her and walked to the door. "You can forget the death of children. I can't."

She stood their shocked. How was she going to stop him from hurting the father of her child? Why should she? She went to the bathroom and turned on the shower head. Waiting until the water was scalding hot before stepping into it. She let the water run over her and replayed the conversation with Jeremy in her head.

 _'You can forget the death of children, but I cant.'_

 _'I know who he is when he's not a vamp.'_

 _'You should want to stop your child for turning out like him.'_

 _'I know who he is when he's not a vamp.'_

She gasped trying to catch her breath as she sobbed openly into the water. Letting her tears mix with the hot water.

 _'I know who he is when he's not a vamp.'_

 _'I know who he is when he's not a vamp.'_

She sniffled and leaned back wiping the water from her eyes. "That's it. I'm going to turn him human again."


	14. Chapter 14

"We were just having a slight disagreement, love. Nothing to worry your pretty little head over." Enzo said sliding down off of the car.

"Yeah what he said." Damon said backing away from them both.

Enzo looked around and noticed that the guard was now looking in their direction.

"What is going on?" Elena asked looking between the two men.

Damon frowned, his gaze darting through the back window at the sleeping form of the young lady.

"Well?"

"I think it best if we save the inquiry for later and get the hell out of here before our audience decides to amble over and see what the commotion is about." Enzo said smoothing out his shirt and dusting invisible dirt off of them.

"What you think is best doesn't matter anymore?" Elena said scolding.

Damon snorted and turned away from them both. He should just leave them here and disappear.

"The woman unconscious in the backseat of Damon's car might think otherwise. Since she's in desperate need of a ride home."

She turned around and peered through the back window. "Oh my God, how many people have you done this too?"

"This is number six the magic number," Damon said leaning against the trunk of the car already checked out.

"Why are you even here? Come to see if Damon's alright." Enzo teased glancing anxiously towards the door.

Damon smirked. "Of course she did because she obviously loves you." Leveling a gaze at his friend glad that they were on the same page.

She looked at them both and noticed immediately that they were toying with her. "I care about you both. Someone's got to keep you guys out of trouble. You don't need to be out here hurting people . . . or children."

"Because that's all that we are to you, Monsters." Enzo said leaning against the hood of Damon's car. Deliberately standing behind Elena.

"Elena is the monster whisperer . . . Only she can save our undead lives." Damon said sounding like a tv commercial.

"That's, that's not the way it is," she stammered. "What you did, what you both did, to those children was horrible, but I get it. You tried to fix his problem, it was a risk that didn't pan out. So I don't hate you for it. But let me help you figure this out. So you don't have to do it again."

"What you don't know is that Elena has been towing the line ever since you died." Enzo sneered leaning down to whisper in her ear as he stared at his friend.

Damon raised an eyebrow at him.

"Let's kick her over it shall we." He stood obscenely close to her invading her space.

"She doesn't want us to accuse her of not being a friend to Bonnie so she will stand here and wag her finger at us for the death of those poor children. Lay on the guilt so thick that she hangs us with it. And in the same breath she will tell us that she understands. That she would have done the same thing in our positions. When in truth she doesn't understand at all."

"Oh, you know the old routine as well." Damon shrugged. "Tiresome isn't it."

"I also know that she wants to appear like the loving understanding one. So that eventually you'll regret picking Bonnie over her. See she'll be the one you lean on during this especially trying time. When everyone else turns their back. How can you not love someone that sticks by you when no one else will. But she's not doing it for you. She's doing it for herself."

"You don't want to lose the only friend you have." Elena said giving him the side eye.

"So we're friends now that happened quickly." Enzo replied.

"Enzo I'm -"

He stopped her and snapped her neck as her body collapsed to the ground.

"What the hell, man?"

She'll be fine and you know it."

"That maybe, but I'm not interested in racking up the reasons for Bonnie to hate me even further." He said following Enzo into the car as he took the driver seat.

"I'm sure when she understands that her childhood friend was making her first move to take her man. She'll give you a pass," Enzo replied putting on his seatbelt.

Damon stuck the key in the ignition and revved the engine. "You actually think at this point she would believe me."

Enzo steeled himself. "Probably not."

 **Next Day . . .**

"I'm going out," said Bonnie carrying a backpack of snacks as she descended the stairs.

"Alright, I'm going with." Caroline said sitting up and throwing on her fuzzy slippers.

"No, you're going to allow me to be as normal as possible all things considering because that's what good friends do." Bonnie said hovering by the stairs as she addressed Caroline and Stefan.

"What if the Angel tries to come after you?" Stefan asked moving his hand away from Caroline's waist as he scooted forward.

"More than likely he's still recuperating after the shock we just gave him."

"I don't know if you can take that chance," Caroline commented rubbing Stefan's knee reassuringly.

Bonnie sighed. "Mason was never interested in hurting me and that much hasn't changed. He's here for Vanessa and that's all, but If it makes you feel any better I have my cell and a couple of handheld mirrors."

"At least tell us where you're going?" Stefan offered.

"Of course, I'm going to a college football game. I still get email alerts of the school goings on. I thought it would be a nice way to clear my mind if I went."

Stefan looked at Caroline. "We get the house to ourselves. Relatively drama free."

Caroline bit her lip. "We could really use the QT time with our little one. This Angel mess has been encompassing all of our free time."

Bonnie clapped her hands together relieved. "Then its settled."

"But I don't want to be responsible for putting you or the baby in danger in anyway."

Bonnie's shoulders slumped. "I'll call Alaric on the way and see if he's free to join me. But i'm doing this."

Stefan covered his wife's hand with his own. "She'll be fine."

"Go, before I change my mind," Caroline said pointing teasingly at her friend.

Bonnie wasted no time making her way over to the car. She had to let the seatback a lot lately to make room for her growing belly. But she still enjoyed to drive a privilege she didn't get to often because Damon insisted on taking her everywhere. She beeped her horn impatiently as the growing crowd of spectators filed into the street blocking traffic as everyone made their way over to the stadium. This was definitely a college football town as the stadium loomed up head looking down at everything. With some quick thinking she decided to get off the main road and take an alley. Besides it wasn't important that she actually see the game. She just had to get close enough to the stands to spark a memory. She squeezed next to a van in a parking lot near the west entrance and made her way over to the ticket booth.

"One ticket please?" She asked pulling out her wallet.

"That will be $10.00." A college student took her money and gave a perforated ticket. "You can take the handicapped entrance if you like. Its slightly to the left of the west entrance. There's an elevator there."

"Thank you," She responded already looking for the handicap entrance.

She walked to the elevator to find someone already waiting for it in front of her. A black baseball cap pulled low over their eyes. An oversized tan jacket to heavy for this kind of weather. She looked down at his shoes and noticed that they were black combat boots. Awfully similar to Mason's. She backed up slowly.

"Why'd you come here alone?" Mason asked not turning around.

"I took the chance that I might see you here as well."

He turned to look at her his eyes a clear crystal blue. "Why?"

"I need your help."

The elevator door opened behind them. He turned around and entered it. "Coming."

She looked around and nodded before standing next to him.

"I will always try to help you. I think you know that. Despite what you may believe my feelings for you were indeed real."

She pressed the button for the top floor paying no attention to the floor her ticket was on. "I want to end this peacefully. So I've come up with a plan?"

He snorted. "I know of your plans."

"I was not involved in that plan to ambush you at all. After all you didn't even see me there, right."

He looked at her. "Correct."

"This is different because If I give you what you want. I need you to give me something in return," she said seriously.

"Bargaining. That's more up my alley. What would you like?"

"A swap. Vanessa for Damon's humanity."

He sucked in a sharp breath. "Tall order."

"But I know you can do it." The door pinged as it opened up at the top floor. She pressed the close button and sent it back down. Her stomach lurching a bit.

"I take it that you've heard about the children." He said folding his hands in front of him.

"I have."

"The damage is already done, my love. Their is no saving his soul."

She looked down. "I've thought about this. I think we can safely say their was never a chance that he was going to Kahlan or heaven. So at least while he is in on Earth he can live the life I know he can have with me."

"You don't need him," Mason said placing his hand on her stomach.

"Please." She said placing her hand over his.

"To do this I will be breaking a cardinal rule by getting involved in the lives of the supernatural. But since this rule has already been broken where you are concerned. There will be no further harm in assisting you with this."

She pulled him into a bear hug. "Thank you so much."

"Don't thank me yet. How is this supposed to happen without the others interceding."

Bonnie smirked and pulled back from their embrace. "I already know what to do."


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note:** _So a Guest seemed a little confused about the Angel. So I just wanted to clear it up. Mason is an angel, but he's not there to upset the balance of good and evil. So he's not going to be some vigilante righting all the wrongs in Mystic falls starting with the gang and there former atrocities. But he's not immune to it either. Spoiler alert for upcoming chapter. Question 2) He see's Vanessa as a weapon. One easily manipulated by the Salvatores and anyone who might come along after. So instead of being trapped on earth forever chasing down everyone whose supernatural girlfriend dies and they want to bring back to life. Why not completely remove the weapon._

 _Happy Reading._

* * *

"Listen, I know this is meant to be a brainstorming session on how to recapture the Angel, but we have more pressing concerns to contend with," Jeremy said interrupting the low murmur of voices filling the living room.

As soon as he spoke all eyes turned to look at him. He cleared his throat a little nervous over what he was about to say next considering that Stefan and Bonnie sitting opposite each other on the furthest end of the couch both had splitting allegiances when it came to Damon. He was actually glad that Caroline and Elena sat beside them a welcome buffer. They would easily be on his side. The only neutral person was Alaric hovering by the fireplace looking up from one of his research books. Jeremy reached down into his backpack and pulled out a folder that Matt had given him.

"Damon and Enzo are beginning to rack up the body count."

Photos of the women spilled out of the folder and onto the table. Caroline was the first person to reach for them.

"I'm sure in the beginning he was able to keep this hidden and relatively under wraps. And I don't know if its because we are on to him or not, but he's getting worse."

"As if the children weren't bad enough," Alaric said approaching the table and picking up a photo. Thinking that he might recognize one of the girls.

"The good thing is the police have no clue what's going on. He's draining them of most of their blood. And then taking them home. Their roommates, family relatives and I think in one case a mailman are finding them dead in their sleep. One victim in particular," I said leafing through the photos to pull out one named Shelly. "Shelly was found just in time by her boyfriend to be taken to the hospital. She's currently recovering, but has no memory of what happened to her. Or how she came to lose so much blood."

"Damon's no novice. He should no better than this. Are we even sure its him and not some newly turned vampire."

Alaric shrugged as he knelt by the coffee table looking over the pictures. "It fits with what we know about him know. He's in some immeasurable pain and what he thinks he's doing is managing it, but -"

"What If its only getting worse." Bonnie concluded unable to bring herself to look at the table.

Elena sighed. "In full disclosure. I think I saw them with this one."

She picked up a photo and showed it to the group.

"When was this?" Bonnie asked.

"A couple of nights ago. I went to talk them out of doing anything too stupid, but they already had her in the backseat of the car. Damon made some sly comment about her being number six."

Bonnie cringed.

"I checked her I thought she'd be fine. I had no clue how much he had already drained her." Elena said remembering the woman's unconscious face.

"So you just left her with them?" Caroline asked finding this story unbelievable was everyone under Damon's smell.

"Well, I didn't exactly have a choice?" Elena replied.

"Did they hurt you?" Jeremy asked his nostrils flaring.

"No, Enzo just snapped my neck."

"Why would he do something like that?" Bonnie asked confused. They both were acting like two completely different people.

The conversation she had with Enzo about her feelings for Damon played in her head. "He just didn't want me to follow them. Its safe to say that my relationship with him is over."

Bonnie grabbed her friends hand. "I'm sorry."

"I do know these women. Some of them are in my classes," Alaric said studying the pictures intently.

"I found Damon and Enzo outside of a nightclub," Elena said.

"So let's assume that they don't want to deal with anyone who might put up a fight. They've got to find six woman in a short period of time. Get them home and move on to the next before anyone notices. So how are they finding these women?" Stefan addressed to the group.

"Drunk college students," Jeremy offered pointing to Alaric.

"Luring women away from bars with their charm." Caroline said snidely. She looked over to Bonnie. "Sorry Bons."

"Raves." Jeremy suggested.

"Damon hates the taste of druggies," Stefan said.

"Does it matter when you have a permanent wound that wont heal?"

"We've got to stop him," Bonnie said first. Sure she had a plan, but if everyone helped capture him at least it would be easier for her to turn him over to Mason. "I don't mean kill him." She said for Jeremy's benefit.

"Will just capture him and his little ring leader Enzo and hold them both in the basement until we can figure out what else to do." Stefan said not ready to call for his brother's death just yet.

"Wait, she said not to kill Damon. I don't remember her mentioning Enzo." Jeremy wined.

"Yes, but if he goes down we have a vengeful Damon to worry about, right next to the crazed Damon. Two lethal combinations." Alaric said.

"So does anyone know about any happening parties?" Caroline asked trying to sound cheerful.

"Oooh," Bonnie said reaching for her phone. She flipped through her email app and found what she was looking for. She flashed the screen to the others. "End of the year party."

"That's it then. There both going to be there." Jeremy exclaimed excitedly.

"And if you're capturing Damon. I'm going to be there." Bonnie said texting the email to the group.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Caroline said staring at her pregnant belly.

"Care at the end of the day I'm still a witch. I can protect myself just fine. Not that I need to because Damon isn't going to hurt me and he's not going to allow Enzo to do it either." Bonnie said confidently.

"Besides, if she's there it will probably be easier to lure Damon away from any crowds without worrying about him taking a few hostages." Stefan said.

"You want to use her as bate. Because that worked so well when we made Vanessa do it." Jeremy said angrily.

"Nothing happened to Vanessa." Alaric said feeling like he was missing something.

"She almost died. I don't think we should be taking that chance with a closest friend who also happens to be pregnant." Jeremy stated.

"Unlike Vanessa I'm not some novice witch who managed to get lucky. I know what I'm doing and I can protect myself." Bonnie said annoyed.

"But since you're so worried. Why don't you stick by her side for most of the night and make sure nothing goes wrong," Stefan offered.

"Stefan, I'm fine on my own." Bonnie bellowed.

"Its already settled Bonnie. Just accept the help gracefully." Stefan piped in.

Bonnie smiled awkwardly. She would have to figure out away to ditch him and knowing Jeremy that would be no small feet.

"We doing this tonight?" Elena asked rubbing her hands up and down her jeans.

Stefan pulled out his cellphone. "According to this email it starts at 7pm."

Caroline shook her head. "Giving the girls sufficient enough time to get drunk. We should be there no later than 9."

X

X

X

X

"Aren't you a little too pregnant to be going to parties?"

"Shut up, Jeremy," Bonnie chuckled grabbing the plastic cup he offered from his hands. She brought it too her lips and hesitated.

"Don't worry I got it from the fridge its just a can of Sprite I found."

She nodded and took a small sip, her stomach already queasy, but if it was from the baby or the events that were about to go down. It still remained to be seen.

"So, no sign of Damon or Enzo?" Jeremy asked rocking back on his heels as he surveyed the rapidly thickening crowd of frat boys and sorority girls as they filed in and out of the party.

"No, not yet."

"Would you tell me if you had?" Jeremy asked leaning down so that she could hear him over the loud music.

"Of course. I know the plan." Bonnie said leveling a harsh gaze at the guy who just bumped her shoulder sending her careening into Jeremy.

"These guys are losers who are going to grow up to become irrelevant singing about how there best years were in high school." Jeremy said sarcastically draping a protective arm around Bonnie's shoulders.

"Is everyone else in place?" Bonnie asked while shaking off Jeremy's touch lightly.

"Alaric's out front. Stefan and Elena are working the party just like us. While Caroline is watching the patio entrance."

"Good." Bonnie commented seeing Elena as she headed for the kitchen. "Is anyone checking on the upstairs?"

"I haven't seen Stefan so I assume he is."

"What about the basement?"

"It's locked. Owner doesn't want anyone going down there and breaking the valuables," Jeremy said looking behind him. "I think I'm going to go get another drink. Want any?"

Bonnie looked down at her cup that was still half-full. "No i'm good. I think I'm going to move by the DJ and get a better advantage point."

"Fine meet you there, but don't move from there until I return." He said sternly.

She nodded and made her way through the crowd. "Right up until I see him." She danced next to the booth trying not to look to out of place with her big pregnant belly hidden under a black sweater. There was two DJ's in the booth, but one looked sufficiently occupied with two blonds off to the side. While the other was playing it cool with sunglasses on indoors she might add.

He leaned over the console chatting up a red head. The baseball cap on his head turned backwards as he chewed obnoxiously on some gum. It was dark in the party except for the strobe lights over head flickering on and off to the beat. A laser light show lighting up the corners of the room. She shielded her eyes as she got closer to the booth straining to see the guy.

She shook her head as she saw him help the girl onto the booth that was slightly raised from the floor. She felt like a voyeur as they began to dance and her gaze never wavered from him. He snuggled the girls neck and she saw the gleam from the strobe light as he circled over him. It was Damon and he was pulling out his fangs. She pushed through the remaining crowd trying not to alert anyone to the panic brewing inside.

"Damon," she called out. "Stop."


	16. Chapter 16

Damon ignored her and continued to drain the women in his hands.

She stepped onto the booth almost fumbling. "Damon, please." She pushed his shoulder back causing him to release her neck, but he still held her close in his grasp.

"I need more," he mumbles her blood streaming down his chin.

The whites of his eyes all, but gone for the first time since they had returned she was afraid of her husband. Her heart began to race. "Let her go."

"The pain's almost gone. I need more."

She flashed back to the moment she found him doing blow on the living room floor. A small rope tied around his arm. She rushed into the room thinking that he was dead and accidentally kicked the needle underneath the couch. She shook him awake slapping his face lightly. He moaned in response and looked up at her with glassy eyes. She couldn't help, but think that he was somewhere else. A place where Elena was still alive and he was still a vamp. And she stood in front of him now thinking that he had that same expression on his face. "Don't do this. Don't do this too me again."

He sank his teeth into the female again. She looked around noticing that in all the commotion the real DJ had yet to turn around. He must be compelled not too.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Enzo said standing in front of the only exit in the booth. Cutting off her retreat short of jumping over it.

"Getting him out of here. The others are coming. I've got Damon just take the girl," she said barking orders.

"Are you sure?"

"Just go," said Bonnie knowing that Jeremy would be back any minute now.

"He's pretty volatile you may need me." Enzo said looking at his friend who was only on victim number two. He wouldn't be in his right mind until at least five or six.

"Just tell me the quickest way out of here?" She asked looking in the direction of the kitchen, but finding it hard to see unless the spotlight swept over the door.

"The basement. Damon convinced the kid to lock it. We're the only ones with a key." He said fishing it out of his pocket. "It has a separate entrance that leads out."

Enzo snatched the girl just as Damon released her and she tumbled towards the floor. Bonnie grabbed his hand as they made there way through the crowd and away from the kitchen towards the hallway.

"Bonnie?" Jeremy called out seeing her leaving the DJ booth with a stranger.

She cursed under a breath and didn't look back. She would have asked Damon to use his speed tog et them down to the basement, but she didn't know what kind of condition he was in and didn't want to put the baby at risk.

Jeremy caught the side of the man's chin that was covered in blood. "She's sneaking him out." He pulled out his phone about to call Stefan and thought better of it. He was going to end this on his own.

She could still hear Damon breathing heavily behind her as she made her way down the stairs slower than she would have liked. She locked the door behind them although it was probably only going to give them a few minutes head start. He still hadn't transitioned back and that scared her more than anything else. "Damon can you hear me. I'm going to fix this for you."

"I need more," He pants out through gritted teeth. He misses the bottom step and tumbles onto the floor withering in pain as imaginary lashes hit his back.

"I've got to get Mason over here." Bonnie thought as she bent over Damon. Unable to help the man she loved. She looked up at the door that they had already started to bang on. "Damon, babe we don't have much time you've got to get up."

He groaned inwardly as he felt himself being pulling apart, but Bonnie's voice came in loud in clear. A ray of sunshine in the fog laying heavily over his minds. He reached up and grabbed a hold of her arm. Getting to his feet weakly.

She grunted as she struggled under the added weight. "You've got to walk on your own."

He nodded and made it over to the back door and out into the open air. He inhaled as took in the smell of dinner. "I need more." He stated before crying out in pain as another wave of pain wrecked his body.

She looked on helplessly. "Damon, I'm going to get you help."

"Hey, is he alright?" Asked a man coming around the corner with a blond woman in tow.

Before she could even answer Damon was drinking from the man's neck. The girl took off running and all Bonnie could think is that she couldn't risk Caroline or Alaric hearing. She stuck out her hand and said a small spell stopping the woman in her tracks. As she clutched at her head. She'd just have a major headache the next day that couldn't be that bad she thought. "Damon, we've got to go."

She looked back to find him tearing into the young man's neck savagely. She dropped her grip on the girl and turned to Damon. "Stop." She screamed raising her hand and sending him flying across the lawn. Smashing into the back of the wooden gate and landing in the alley.

"Are you alright?" Stefan asked as he came up behind her from the basement.

"Yes, I'm fine." I said a bit shakily.

Stefan got on his phone and called for an ambulance.

"I thought you were helping him get away," Jeremy responded going to check on the man bleeding out on the ground. He took off his shirt and put it up to the wound stopping some of the blood loss.

"Does it look that way to you because to me my the father of my child is lying on the road unconscious." Bonnie said feigning annoyance.

"Well he's not there anymore," Stefan said hanging up his phone and looking in the direction of where she pointed.

"Dammit, where could he have gone?" Bonnie said sadly.

Caroline, Alaric and Elena ran up the path. "We heard the commotion from his girlfriend."

"Yeah, I think she's calling the police," Elena said bending down to help her brother. Holding the t-shirt tightly against the man's neck. He was breathing was turning shallow and she wasn't sure how much longer he would make it.

"So what did we miss?" Caroline asked looking at the others.

"Damon took Bonnie hostage and when they got outside he attacked this guy. Bonnie used her power to get him off the guy. Sending him flying, but now he's missing." Stefan said to the group.

"You guys need to go. We don't want them knowing why we're all here," Alaric said bending down next to Jeremy. He put his hands over his. "I've got this. I'm not going to let him die."

He nodded and relinquished control.

"Are you sure you don't need us?" Elena asked releasing her grip as well.

"The parties already dispersing. If Damon needs to feed he's not going to do it here." Caroline replied.

"I need to get home. I'm getting a little tired." Bonnie asked already running through the list of possible places that Enzo could have taken him.

"Yeah, lets just all regroup back at home." Stefan nodded in agreement moving towards the alley. Caroline and Elena followed suit.

"Did he say anything about where he was going next?" Jeremy asked walking next to Bonnie.

"No," she said rolling her eyes. "He really couldn't speak in between bouts of pain."

"The kind of pain that he just caused that young man." Jeremy commented sarcastically.

Bonnie held on to Caroline's arm as they helped her walk over the broken debris of wood. She wanted to say it was worse, but she would draw the ire of everyone there so said nothing instead. "

"The police are going to be here soon. Everyone just meet me at the car two blocks up on Sangamom." Stefan said handing out orders. "Oh and Jeremy you may want to stuff your hands in your pocket."

"What," Jeremy replied puzzled as he looked down at his hands. Still covered in the young man's blood. "Thanks."

Bonnie walked slower than the others hoping to see or find some sign of Damon that he might have left behind for her. She knew he was going to be angry with her, but she would just have to make him see that she had his best interest at heart. She couldn't let him kill the boy. Besides he wouldn't have to worry about that ever again. She was going to do the impossible, she was going to cure him.

"Hey, I don't know what's going on with you," Jeremy said following into step with her. "But i know what I saw and I'm going to get to the bottom of what's going on."

"Worry about yourself, Jer. Everyone else is taken care of."


	17. Chapter 17

"You've got to just hear me out Bonnie," Enzo begged.

"You've got five minutes to get out of this Farmer's Market. Or i'll call Stefan over and watch him stake you right here," Bonnie said keeping her voice low. "Where is Damon?"

"See now thats what I need to talk to you about."

Bonnie swallowed the lump forming in her throat and looked around to see Stefan stoically watching Caroline chatting it up with the man at the deli counter. "Make it quick because if anyone comes over you tried to grab me."

Enzo snorted. "It's getting harder and harder to keep Damon's body count down. Don't think you're the only people that noticed."

"So what are you doing about it because you're obviously not curing him." She said picking up a melon and giving it a little squeeze.

"There is no cure. Been there done that. On to the next thing."

Bonnie sucked in her breath sharply. "Which is?"

"We're leaving . . . the state. We need to keep moving, but Damon won't even agree to get into the car without you and the baby." Enzo pleaded. "Come with."

"He can't go. We have to stay and fix this."

Enzo shook his head. "He's getting worse."

"Don't you think I know that. I saw a little bit of it myself the other night."

He growled. "He needs more bodies to sustain himself."

"What?" She said looking up to him with concern in her eyes.

"He needs 8 people to even feel halfway like normal. I've been lying to him about how many there are."

"How are you even getting away with that?"

He glanced towards the deli to see Stefan still there with Caroline. He kept his head low and said, "He doesn't remember them. Not their faces, their names or even where we picked them up at. It's all gone like he was in some sort of trance."

"And you left him alone!"

"He's fine now. It just doesn't last that long." He said doing his best to explain. "Listen, just think about it mate. I'd like to be gone by the end of the week. If I don't hear from you. I'm leaving anyway."

She was about to protest and tell him of her plan, but he cut her off.

"Its for his own good."

And just like that he was gone and the others were walking towards her.

"Find everything, you wanted?" Caroline asked chipperly.

"Yeah and a few things I didn't."

"Can we just go?" Stefan asked impatiently. "Like check out."

"Yeah, totally," Caroline said kissing him on the cheek.

* * *

 **Later that Night . . .**

Bonnie picked up her phone and pulled up the contact information. She ran her finger lovingly along the picture of Damon. Lying in bed alone wishing he was with her.

"Enzo has no clue as to what's going on with you or how to fix it. He's a good friend for trying, but in the end wifey knows best." She clicked the dial button and waited for the voicemail to come on. It was already well pass midnight so the likely hood that he would be of sound mind enough to pick up the phone was slim.

"Leave a Message or Don't."

"Damon its me Bonnie. I know you're leaving town, but I can't go with you. I deserve better. The baby needs better than a life on the run. But you need to go to be safe. I have an ultrasound appointment with my OB tomorrow at 2pm. I'm coming with Vanessa. We can say goodbye to each other there."

"How are you going to convince the others to allow you to go with Vanessa alone?" Mason asked sitting on the edge of her open window.

"It's already taken care of. I've been given the go ahead."

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Damon's humanity is at stake. I will keep my end of the bargain."

He bowed to her. "And so will I."

He disappeared out of the window his wings flapping in the breeze. She rolled over and cut her bedroom light off. By this time tomorrow she would be lying next to her very human husband, Damon. She couldn't keep the smile from her face.

* * *

"Want me to hold your purse?" Vanessa asked holding the door open for Bonnie.

"No, thanks. I've got it." Bonnie went up to the counter and checked herself in before joining Vanessa in the waiting area.

"I have to say that its kinda cool that you invited me," Vanessa said picking up a magazine in the waiting area.

"Well, you're probably the most normal out of all of this. Considering the busy week we've had. I just wanted to go through this appointment with as little fanfare as possible," Bonnie said looking around the waiting room that seemed to be bustling with nurses checking patients in and out.

New moms milled about the waiting room waiting for their names to be called. A nervous excitement filling the room.

"Well, whatever the reason. I appreciate." Vanessa replied flipping through the pages of parent magazine.

"Bonnie Salvatore-Bennett." A doctor called appearing out of a side door next to the nurse's station.

"Yes, that's me." Bonnie said getting up from her chair awkwardly grabbing her clutch purse from the empty seat next to her. Her stress level had just kicked up a notch.

"Nice seeing you again, Bonnie. Your husband not with you this time?" The doctor asked making pleasant conversation as she lead them past a couple of private rooms to her private room.

"No, not this time, but I brought a friend to sub." Bonnie said thinking to herself that Damon would be joining them later. "This is Vanessa."

"Hello, friend," said Dr. Thomas turning around to shake Vanessa's hand. "This will be a quick and painless procedure. Just to check on the little one and make sure everything is going well."

She closed the door behind them. "Make yourself comfortable. You wont have to get undressed this time. Just raise up your shirt."

Vanessa looked around awkwardly unsure if she should sit or stand. Bonnie reached her hand out to the girl a frightened looked on her face. Vanessa grabbed her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"No worries, you've been doing great so far. There's no reason to believe that might change now." The doctor said sensing the tension in the air.

Bonnie focused on the squiggly heart drawn in red ink on the girl's black t-shirt. "I'm sorry."

Vanessa looked down at her confused she brushed the hair off of Bonnie's forehead. "You have nothing to be sorry for. You are a mom now and I don't know anything about that, but I had a mom. I think it involved a lot of sacrificing and doing what's best for your child. And from what I've seen you've been doing that from the very beginning."

"Right, doing what's best for her." Bonnie nodded.

"Your mother's intuition, must be tingling." The doctor said looking intently at the monitors.

"Why is that?" Bonnie asked forgetting the doc was even in the room.

"would you like to see," she said nodding to the monitor.

"Yes," Bonnie said eagerly.

"Your intuition is already working because you knew it was a girl." she said turning the monitor around for them both to see.

"Oh my god. She's beautiful." Bonnie said with tears of joy in her eyes.

A small knock came at the door and it opened slowly to reveal Damon in the doorjamb.

"What are you doing, here?" Vanessa said her voice strained.

"I couldn't miss this for the world."

"The more the merrier," the doctor said chipperly. "I'll give you two a few minutes. Maybe you will want to give him the good news."

Bonnie grabbed on to Vanessa's elbow firmly. "He's the father of this baby. He needs to be here."

Vanessa looked at the grainy grey screen of the baby and nodded. She backed up closer to the window and allowed Damon to take her place.

Damon grabbed her hand and kissed her fingers. "What's the good news?"

"It's a girl."

"That's great," he nodded mesmerized by the screen. "She's going to be as beautiful as you are."

"Or you." Bonnie commented poking him playfully.

He looked at her smiling face. "What are the tears for?" He said dabbing at her cheeks with his index finger.

"Maybe she's regretting having you as the father of her kid," Vanessa replied.

"Let's pretend you're not here." Damon said through gritted teeth as he stood up to face her.

"Your wish is my command."

A dark shadow fell over the window and a loud crash could be heard as Damon and Vanessa ducked for cover. Glass shattering all about them. Bonnie shielded her face as she leaned over and picked up her clutch purse pulling out a needle.

Mason reached through the window and grabbed the girl pulling her through. Flying off with her into the sky.

"Dammit, he's got her, we've got to do something." Damon said getting up and peering through the window. He looked down at his arm as he felt a small pinprick. Bonnie was sticking him with a needle. "Bonnie."

"I'm sorry. This will all make sense when you wake up."

His eyes closed and everything went dark.


	18. Chapter 18

"How did you find this place?" Bonnie asked looking through the clear glass at Damon strapped to a gurney.

"Kahlan was based off of your version of Earth as well as some tidbits from Damon. I knew every square inch of that place. So I took a gamble that if this place existed there that so be it on Earth as well." Mason said coming up beside her his frame seemed to fill the big picture window.

"I've never seen this place before. This must be a place that Damon is acquainted with," she responded looking up at the sterile metal ceilings and walls. A stark contrast to the brick, rundown home just above their heads. She sniffled and wiped at her nose with the sleeve of her shirt.

"The medical equipment I acquired on my own with a little ingenuity. You might need it. I hope you appreciate that. Damon will be fully human after I bestow this nightmare upon him," he said with a slight chuckle.

"Being human is no weakness." Bonnie said with a flat monotone voice.

"I happen to fully agree, but he will not."

"Where is Vanessa?" Bonnie said loudly her words echoing in the small chamber.

He smiled. "No need to worry about her. She will return with me to Kahlan. It wasn't such a bad place, was it?"

Bonnie fidgeted with her wedding ring as she stared down at her hands. "Can you tell her I'm sorry?"

"It will be no comfort at first, but in the end they all come too see what is true."

Bonnie ignored the queasy feeling in her stomach as she turned back towards the window. "What happens to the open wounds on his back?"

"I am attempting something that no other gatekeeper has. I am afraid I have no answers to that inquiry."

"So he could die?" Bonnie asked her shoulders slumped.

"Your modern medicine has come along way from what it used to be. Have faith." He said placing a hand on her shoulder.

"So when do we do this?" She asked ignoring the Exit sign that seemed to blaze bright in the small corridor. Matching the puffy red eyes that stared back at her in her reflection.

"Whenever you are ready?" Mason asked looking at her intently as she studied the man on the other side of the glass. "If you would have told me when I first met you that I would be on Earth agreeing to make Damon human. I would have thought you crazy. I spent so long trying to save you from him."

"There's nothing to save me from. I can make my own decisions. Something that you both seem to forget."

He snorted. "I like to think that I learn from my mistakes. Which is why I offer you another choice now?"

She sighed covering her hands with her face. "I'm not interested an any other deals."

"Vanessa in exchange for a gift. I can bring back the children that Damon so quickly brought to their deaths."

Bonnie was stunned into silence. That hadn't even occurred to her. She was turning into someone that she barely recognized. She could hear no other sound in the chamber outside of her breathing. She was beginning to feel lightheaded. "Will the parents remember what happened?"

"Well that depends on you?" He said leaning against the glass a twinkle in his eye. "Come back with me?"

His words echoed like a noose around her neck.

"I'll erase all their memories of their children's death. Or they can keep those memories and drive themselves to paranoia and their children to madness as they wonder if it was a dream or if it was real."

"Or we can just keep things the same."

"Sure, if you have turned into the woman that values her husband over the lives of innocent children. But that is not the Bonnie that I know."

She sucked her teeth. He was definitely laying it on a little thick. She felt her stomach as the baby kicked. "Oh."

"May I?" he asked pointing towards her stomach.

"Yes."

She put his hands on the spot that the kicks had originated from. And it wasn't long before she was kicking again. She stared through the window at Damon her vision blurring.

"She is truly one of God's miracles."

"And she has made my decision for me. Bring back the children and erase the parents memories and I will go with you."

"Wise choice," He said bowing ceremoniously in front of her.

She rolled her eyes and turned back to Damon rubbing her chest as the tightness there increased. "What about Damon?"

"I will ensure that someone will find him."

"Do I have time to say goodbye?" Bonnie asked stilling herself against his answer.

"Of course."

Bonnie walked to the metal door and pushed it open. It must have weighed as much as she did. The room was pretty sparse outside of the bed and the medical equipment monitoring his heart and other vitals. Not that he had a beating heart for the machine to monitor. So the machines were oddly still. The only noise, coming from her gym shoes squeaking across the floor. She took his hands in hers, touching his wedding band and twirling it on his finger.

"You're going to wake up and you're going to be extremely pissed and angry," she said her chin trembling. "And then you're going to be sad and depressed." She looked up at the window and saw no one there. Just their reflection. She tried to swallow her throat turning scratchy. "When you're angry I need you to go to that place by the river. Where we first found each other in Kahlan. I want you to go there and scream and let it all out. Curse my name, but do not take this out on anyone else, but me."

She wasn't sure how long she had been in the room, but for those few minutes with him they seemed like forever. "When you're sad and missing me and the baby. Go to her room where we were keeping the chalk board of potential baby names that we couldn't decide from. There's a picture of my last ultrasound hanging there. Kiss it and remember us fondly. I was also thinking that since its a girl that you are right. We should name her Mila-Rose."

She bent down and kissed Damon on his cheek tears coursing down her cheeks now. "I'm so sorry baby. Don't hate me."

"Bonnie."

She pulled back the ache in her chest causing her to cough as she heard his raspy voice.

"What's going on?"

She didn't know how to respond. She wasn't sure there was any goodbye that would make this moment any better. So she took the easy way out and turned to leave without saying anything at all.

"Bonnie, help me." He called out jerking on his restraints. "Bonnie, I love you."

She stood just outside the door hyperventilating as her breath came out in short breaths. Unable to control her tears as she collapsed to the ground.

"Ssssh," Mason said kneeling beside her. "Calm yourself."

She pushed him away and peered through the window. Damon was still yelling for her, but it was like he had been put on mute. Hopelessness and fear marred his once beautiful features. She looked towards the heart monitor that hadn't moved a muscle since he had awoken. A constant reminder of his true nature. He strained against his restraints and she heard his voice inside her head as if she were still in the room. His words repeating over and over. Help me. "I want to go. I want to leave."

"Alright, alright," Mason said touching the top of her head. "You're going to awake in the forest. Find Vanessa and when the time is nigh. I will seek you out."


	19. Chapter 19

"I'll find him on my own and I'm sure wherever he is. Bonnie will not be far behind. Vanessa is your pet." Enzo declared hanging up on Stefan. He failed to help them before this so he wasn't about to let him play hero know. He stuffed the cell phone in his pocket and pulled out a piece a paper. He had searched the cemetery high and low and found no signs of the Angel. He did find this piece of paper hidden under a crypt. It could be completely random or it could be just what he was looking for. He recognized the address, but it had been several years since he had been there.

He stood outside the three story Victorian home and looked for some sign of life or movement. The black paint was peeling and dulled from age. The house was a little bit off the beaten passed so he knew no one could sneak up on him without him knowing about it. But if Mason was here than he already knew he was too. He walked up the creaking steps and tried the front door. The door knob coming off in his hands. He threw it aside and pushed open the front door. It fell to the floor with a bang. So much for trying to sneak up. Might as well embrace it.

"Come out, come out wherever you are. Give me back Damon and Bonnie."

He whistled aloud as he went from room to room and finding no signs that anyone was ever there. He just didn't understand the purpose of taking Damon, Bonnie and Vanessa. He made it clear early on that he was only trying to right a mistake. This too him just seemed like another mistake. That is unless Damon and Bonnie just ran away together. But that couldn't be true. He would have came to say goodbye. If he was planning to leave why ask Enzo to wait for him in the parking lot. Checking all the rooms including the kitchen he decided to make his way upstairs. He got half way up the stairs choking on the dust when his leg fell through one of the steps. The wood rotten and eaten through by termites.

He grimaced as he scratched his leg pulling it out of the whole. He looked back down at the mess and noticed there was a vast open space beneath it. And he remember what the place was origninally used for. It wasn't just a place for him and Damon to crash from time to time when they needed to get away from the rat pack and his place was too obvious.

He flashed back to Damon sitting on the steps next to him handing him a flask of whiskey. "So I completely killed the guy that owned this house. I did it completely by accident I just needed a place to crash and he was on vervain and putting up a fight. So I just snapped his neck. You'd think the being on vervain part would have given me a clue. But I go into the basement and low and behold the guy is keeping two baby vampires down there as like pets. No not pets like his own personal zoo."

Enzo headed back to the living room and tried to remember how to get down there.

"So he was like some sort of weird scientist toiling away in his basement."

"There's no basement to this place. At least not any access that we would be used to. He put a lot of thought into this," Damon said walking towards the kitchen. He rolled away an island to reveal a small rug. He kicked it aside and revealed a small trap door.

"Pretty fucking awesome, mate." Enzo said bending down on hind legs and inspecting the door more closely. "Who puts a trap door in a kitchen. Its the last place most people would look."

Damon shrugged and took another swig of his whiskey.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Probably not." Damon said sarcastically.

"We can use this to stash our meals for later."

"Oh, no we cant," said Damon wagging a finger at him. "I'm on a blood bag diet from now on. Trying to be a better role model for my girlfriend Elena."

Enzo stood in the kitchen looking at the rug that was still covering the trap door, but the island was no where to be found. Dirty broken dishes piled into the sink and were now attracting flies. That memory seemed to be so long ago. Before Damon died, before Bonnie ended up pregnant, and before he fell for the girl who couldn't love him back.

He got to his knees and pushed the rug aside with renewed fervor. Cutting his finger on the handle as he tried to pull it open. It fell open with a bang. There appeared to be no light accept for the small red light coming from the exit sign. He noticed the small ladder that was bolted to the wall and decided to take the easy route. He jumped down onto the cement floor. Just in time to see Mason disappearing with Bonnie.

Enzo charged towards them and Mason gave him a weird smile before disappearing into nothing. Enzo turned towards the glass and started banging on it. "Damon."

His long time friend was strapped to a gurney, yelling something that even he couldn't hear. Which meant he probably couldn't hear him either. He looked around for access to the room and saw the door off to the left side. He pushed it open.

"You've got to let me out of here. Where's Bonnie?" Damon yelled.

Enzo ran to his side and began the painstaking task of undoing the restraints at his feet.

"Not the right time," Mason said putting his hand on Enzo's shoulder and rendering him unconscious.

"What did you do to him?"

He laid the man down on the floor. "He will be fine."

"Where's Bonnie?'

He stood up as her body disappeared and watched Damon through the window. "Bonnie is wrong. She thinks that restoring your humanity will be your salvation, but I believe that it will be your undoing. A punishment I will be glad to bestow upon you for your cruelty to those innocent children."

"She wouldn't be apart of something like this?" Damon spat yanking on his restraints so hard that they were beginning to chafe and rub his skin raw.

"It was her idea, Damon."

"I don't need anything from you." Damon said leaning away from the man as far as was humanly possible on the bed.

"Oh of that I'm certain, but you'll receive this gift just the same." He placed his hand on Damon's forehead. "Watch the monitor."

Damon screamed out in pain as a jolt of electricity seemed to move throughout his body from head to toe. He grind his teeth together as his face screwed up into a grimace.

Mason took his hand off and the monitor began to beep in rhythm. He nodded quite proud of himself.


	20. Chapter 20

"I found him like this. I didn't know what else to do so I called you," Enzo said letting Stefan and Alaric into the run down home. Making sure the door didn't completely fall through the floor as they opened it.

"And Bonnie?" Alaric asked looking around suspiciously.

"Mason has her and he disappeared into God knows where."

"Well, that one's easy to solve," Elena said pushing the door down. "He took her back to Kahlan." The door teetered a bit before crashing through the floor kicking up dirt and debris into the air.

"Dammit, Elena. Care for a little remodeling."

She blushed. "Now you know that was more you're thing than mine."

He ignored her teasing leveling a glare at Stefan for inviting her when he specifically expressed to him that she not be told.

"She was with me when I got the call." Stefan explained shrugging as he knelt by the whole peering in.

"This hallway that Elena just inadvertently crashed into leads to the room Damon's in. It's sound proof so he cant hear us and we cant hear him. Not that it matters since he's been unconscious since I awoke from Mason's sneak attack. He's not doing well."

"You mean there's a level lower than killing children," Elena said snidely.

"Shut your mouth or I'll rip out your tongue." Enzo fumed getting into Elena's face.

"Make me."

"Enough," Stefan declared standing up. "We've got to help Damon if it means getting Bonnie back." He leaped into the whole landing on top of the door. "Coming down?"

Alaric laughed and looked at Enzo. "Any human friendly entrances?"

Enzo nodded. "There's a trap door that leads to a ladder in the kitchen underneath a rug."

When he turned back around Elena was already in the whole. He cursed under his breath. He knew there was a reason he didn't want her there. He leaped down into the whole and glanced back at the ladder that Alaric was slowly making his way down. Stefan and Elena had there noses pressed to the glass like two small kids at the zoo.

"What is all this?" Stefan asked in a grave voice.

"Mason didn't make the room if that's what you're asking. He just used what was already here."

"Why would he do this?" Elena asked.

"I have a few theories, and you will to when you're in there." Enzo said pointing towards the door. He could see the medical equipment through the window. He hadn't touched a thing since he heard the tale tell beating of his best friends heart.

They all filed in with Stefan taking the lead. "Why the hell is he still in his restraints?" Stefan asked angrily already undoing the belts at his feet.

"That's what you're concerned with." Enzo said annoyed.

"Why are the machines going off?" Alaric asked looking at the medical equipment a little puzzled.

"It's probably just a glitch," Elena said without even looking up from her task of undoing his wrist.

"Everyone just stop and listen," Enzo screamed. "Alaric feel for a pulse."

Elena dropped his hand and stepped away from the table. "How is this possible?"

"Before Mason knocked me out he was all Vampire, I swear. When I woke up he's all this," Enzo said waving a hand at his friends unconscious body. "All flesh and bone and beating heart."

"A gift from Mason then," Alaric said feeling for his friends pulse that was weak, but still there just the same. He pulled up one of Damon's eyelids and looked at his pupil. "Why would he do this?"

"Because Bonnie asked him too. Maybe it was a condition of her coming with him."

"So she traded her life so that he could be human. Why would she do that when she has the baby to think of?" Elena asked finding it hard to picture her friend being that self-sacrificing.

Enzo walked to the end of Damon's bed. "Why would she indeed?"

Stefan looked up at him catching the cynical tone to his voice.

"While it may be second nature for you all too assume the best here. Allow me to interject a little reality. It was punishment?" He said sincerely looking all three of them.

"Of course you would say that," said Elena crossing her arms across her chest as she stood stoically next to Alaric.

Stefan looked down at the still form of his brother and considered Enzo's words. "There's no circumstance in which he would want this. She knows that, everyone knows that."

"He's Damon Salvatore the vampire. He prides himself on telling everyone he meets that very fact before he rips their heads off and I mean that figuratively and literally." Alaric said the memory of his vibrant friend eliciting a smile on his face.

"That's not true." Elena said shaking her head. "He offered to do it for me once. He could've sacrificed himself again in the name of love."

"For Bonnie," Enzo said feeling the need to remind his ex-girlfriend.

"We're getting off track here. We need to figure out why he's not awake," Alaric said.

"Do you still have that contact at the hospital?" Stefan asked.

"Jo, ugh yeah. I can call her right now," he said already pulling out his phone.

"There's no bars down here, mate." Enzo said, "You'll have to go back upstairs to get anything out."

"I'll go with. I promised to keep Caroline up to date on everything that's going on," Stefan said giving Damon's hand a light squeeze. "If I don't she might very well strap Emma to her back and head on down here." He stopped in front of Enzo. "Will you stay with him?"

"What have I been doing this whole time? Growing flowers." Enzo said snidely.

Stefan nodded and headed back up the ladder this time behind Alaric. Leaving Elena and Enzo alone. "I can give you two a minute."

"It's fine. You can stay."

"It wasn't a suggestion." Enzo said heading for the door. "I suddenly need some air. I'm feeling a little claustrophobic, but the giant sized whole you put in the ceiling should make it all better, love." He closed the door behind him.

He looked up and could hear Alaric outside talking on the phone with the doctor. He took a deep breath and looked back towards the window. It was one time where he was glad that he couldn't hear. She was probably whispering sweet nothings into his ear trying to convince him to come back to be with her. After all, Enzo was just something to do to past the time and he knew just how to test his theory.

"You alright?" he asked coolly as she came out into the hall.

"Yeah. It's tough seeing him like that," she said holding herself. She looked up at the gaping whole in the ceiling. "I'm sorry about that."

"It fine. The house is like 100 years old anyway. I think I was being too sensitive, love." He said walking up to the window, but standing close enough for her to feel his presence keenly.

"I'm sorry. I know what this is probably doing to you too," she said placing her hand on his shoulder.

He listened out for the others who both were still on lengthy calls. "When he didn't come back to the parking lot. I thought he had left me and run off with Bonnie. A part of me thought this was the best thing for him. Another part missed him and he had only been gone a few hours."

"I get that. Since he's been back you've been his rock." She cleared her throat and pulled him into a hug. "If you want to talk. I'm here."

He held her and smiled slyly before pulling back with the somberest look upon his face.

"You took care of me when they were gone. Now it's my turn to return the favor," she said sincerely.

"I thought I was in this alone." He said hovering just above her lips.

"You're never alone." She whimpered as she bridged the gap between them taking his lips into hers In a passionate kiss.

He broke their embrace. "So as long as you need a shag your all for it. But if I ask you to have feelings for me beyond what you show for Damon. Well then I'm the one whose wrong."

"It's not like that."

He stepped away from her wanting to be as far away from her than this little make shift cell allowed. "Its exactly like that, mate."

"Mate," she shook her head in disbelief before walking up to him and placing her hand on his chest. "How did we get here?"

He wrapped his hands around her neck and pushed her up against the wall. Squeezing to the point where she could barely talk before whispering into her ear. "You're lying to yourself and you're lying to me and after this Damon thing is resolved. I'm going to make you pay for it."

He released her after the trap door opened and Alaric climbed down.

"You two playing nice."

She said nothing gasping as she rubbed at her tender neck.

"Of course, granddaddy." Enzo smirked.

"You know you're older than me," Alaric replied annoyed.

"If you say so, mate."

Stefan climbed down the ladder and looked over at Elena a worried look on his face, but he pushed any questions to the back of his mind. "I think our best option is just to get him to a hospital."

"Yeah, Jo's not about to make any house calls. I could get over their and try to compel her to do it. But who knows how much time that will take. He needs to get out of this room now."

"So what are you suggesting?" Enzo asked tapping his foot impatiently.

"By the book." Stefan said putting his hands in his pockets.

"I've already called the ambulance." Alaric said looking through the window.

Enzo went back to the glass tapping on it impatiently. "Why the hell is he not awake?"

"He'll get better." Elena said regaining her voice although it cracked a bit at the end.

"That's it," Enzo said hitting the glass furiously. "His injuries he had them when he was a vampire. Whose to say they just went away?"

"Yeah so," Stefan asked not following.

"So look at his back. If its still not healed that's why he's unconscious."

"I don't know if its a good idea for us to move the body." Alaric said unsure.

"Well, its not as if he has a neck injury. And the wounds on his back were not spinal."

"That we know of," Alaric said. "He was a vampire with healing ability who knows what he was able to stave off that his human body now cant."

"This isn't a democracy. If he still has the wounds we give him some of our blood and heal him and he will be fine." Enzo insisted angrily.

"But we don't know if that will actually work. It could end up doing more damage than good. We have no clue what Mason has done to him." Stefan kicked a small piece of wood and it smashed into the back wall. "We just have to wait and see."

"Who died and put you in charge over Damon's care?" Enzo spat.

"He's my brother and I want him in one piece. So excuse me if i'm not ready to play fast and loose with his life."

"You've got to trust him. Damon would want you too." Elena said standing between the two feuding men.

"I'm going to wait for the paramedics outside." Alaric offered heading up the ladder.

"I'm going to wait a little ways up the road its a little tricky getting here." Stefan said turning to leave.

"No, I'll go. You could use the time with your brother," Enzo said needing to get some air anyway.

"Thanks."

He walked outside and patted Alaric on the back as he walked up the road.

"Hey, wait up. I'm coming with."

He rolled his eyes. "Couldn't even think of one place you could be other than here?"

"No." She walked up to him and kneed him in the groin. "That's for earlier. Put your hands on me again and I'll be doing much worse."

He grit his teeth and tried to ignore the pain as he keeled over. "I look forward to it."


	21. Chapter 21

Stefan stood at his brother's side staring at the heart monitor as it beeped steadily.

"I never saw this coming."

He looked down at him.

"I wish you had of told me everything. I would have been there for you. I would've helped you. I haven't changed so much that you would ever think that I would ignore you just because Caroline asked me too."

He looked back at the closed door behind him. "No, this is all because I was the one that dropped you into peredition. Just like I was the one who left you at the mercy of the Augustine's without ever bothering to look for you."

He looked up at the cold metal ceiling and sighed. "You told me that you never faulted me for that, but I hated myself anyway. I did some bad things to try and make up for it. So when I dropped you. Something that is clearly my fault no way around that. You decided to spare me. Then see me turn into the ripper or ruin our relationship."

He took his brothers hand. "But that wouldn't have happened. I have Caroline now and Emma and I have you. I still have you because you're not going to die on me. Because no matter who comes into my life I still need my younger brother."

"There here," Alaric said coming through the door. "The fire departments also here. There going to air lift him through the whole after they assess the safety."

Stefan released his brother's hands just as the paramedics came through the door.

"I'm sorry sir, but you're going to have to give us some room."

Stefan nodded and backed up a bit.

Alaric whispered into his ear. "He's going to be fine. He's a fighter vampire or human."

* * *

"Doctor just tell me when is he going to wake up?" Stefan asked standing outside of Damon's room in the burn unit.

"He's currently under sedation. We can wake him up at any time?" Jo said looking down at his chart.

"Fine, do it. Why haven't you done it already?" Enzo barked pacing impatiently behind the pair.

Jo sighed and looked at the obviously frazzled man behind her. "Because its more of a mercy thing than anything."

"What do you mean?" Stefan asked looking through the window of his room. Where he was hooked up to even more machines than he was before.

"He's going to be in a lot of pain. We're going to have to start him on morphine and a combination of other drugs to manage it."

"How do we fix it?" Enzo barked.

"Calm the hell down. We're in a hospital for crying out loud," Stefan said growing tired of the man's theatrics. He moved to stand between him and the doctor.

"Its only been a couple of days and we've been using every bit of that time to come up with the proper steps to help him through this."

"Then you have answers," Stefan pressed. "Listen I'm not trying to push."

"Which you very well should?" Enzo stated coming to a stop beside Stefan crossing his arms across his chest.

"He's been in this proverbial Coma since he got here. Bring him out of it we need to talk to him. Now."

"Yes love, we miss him," Enzo sneered. Giving off the tone that there was more than just concern behind it.

She smacked her lips. "I'll go get the nurse."

Enzo watched her leave. "It's been two days we've heard hide nor hair from Bonnie or Vanessa. As your mutt Tyler has confirmed their scent is gone. There not in the land of the living and the only one who knows even a little bit about that is wasting away in this hospital room."

"And it's all my fault." Stefan finished knowing already what he was going to say.

"Actually, its mines." Enzo said backing off and leaning against the wall.

"I'd ask you to repeat that, but I know you wont," Stefan smirked.

Enzo banged his hand against the banister finding it hard to get his words out. "I should have come to you when I saw that things were getting out of control. I let my ego get in the way of things and perhaps he would not be lying in there now if I sought help earlier."

"Yeah, maybe those children would still be alive."

"And here comes self-righteous Stefan," Enzo said wagging a finger at him. "How long did that take, all of 2 minutes mate?"

"The truth hurts," Stefan said stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Here's a dose of truth for you Stefan." Enzo said smirking and pushing himself off the wall. "You took a child from a hospital. You compelled a witch to do your bidding. What were your exact words . . . until you bring him back to life or until you pass away. Whichever comes first."

Stefan's jaw clenched as he looked at Enzo wearily.

"In my day pass away meant death." Enzo chuckled.

"What's your point?" Stefan gritted through his teeth.

"You're not angry at me for killing those children. You're mad that you weren't there to do it yourself."

Stefan slammed him against the wall. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't rip your heart out with my bare hands. I'm a father. I'd kill anyone who'd even think to lay a hand on Emma. I wouldn't wish that on anyone else."

"Because that's what good Stefan is supposed to say. But the Stefan I saw when Damon was missing would have slaughtered a whole block full of children all tidy in their beds if it meant there was even half a chance of rescuing his brother from his suffering. Because human lives are so fleeting."

Stefan released him and walked to the window. "I've learned a lot since raising Emma."

"Enough to change your nature, mate." Enzo said walking up behind him. "Look at him."

Stefan lifted his head and stared through the window. "You have known Emma all of a year and you have been dating Caroline for less than that. This man, your brother, your vampire brethren has spent decades with you. Centuries by your side."

"And a few centuries where he wasn't."

Enzo stared at the reflection of Stefan in the mirror unfazed. "If you can look at me now and say that some pretty faces have all but ensured that you wouldn't have helped your brother through his suffering. Well then, you don't deserve to be his brother."

"You keep throwing around the word suffering as if its supposed to mean something to me, but what you forget is that you were the only one to see this suffering." Stefan said angrily turning on Enzo.

"I was." Enzo said not taking his eyes off of Damon. "I thought it was fun in the beginning. It was like i had the old Damon back. Killing whoever we wanted with no concern for human life. I felt like myself for the first time in a long time. But that train got old fast."

"How so?"

"I started to stare at the second hand on my watch as it ticked down to 6 o'clock and nightfall fell. With trepidation over what I was going to have to do next to help him. Waiting for him to drop to his knees in agony clutching at his back as if something I couldn't see was beating him. And I was powerless to stop him. He wouldn't move from the floor no matter what i did or said. It was hard for him even to get to his feet at times. So i would go out hunting for his first victim. Force feeding him the blood threw a cup because he couldn't take it from the vein."

"He couldn't bite?" Stefan asked stunned.

"Not initially, no. Its like he just forgot how. The first victim usually restored his facilities. Helped him focus. He could actually track his prey without my help, but not very well."

Stefan frowned not sure of whether to believe him or not.

"A new spasm would come about every 5 minutes. So when you're trying to compel a woman to come to you. You can imagine how that might not help."

"He actually had to compel them something definitely must have been off. Damon prides himself on being able to turn on the charm with anyone," Stefan smiled slightly remembering his brother in better times. "Whats the significance behind there being six victims?"

"It was to stop the spasms. By the second victim it was every 10 minutes. The third every 20 minutes and so on until the pain was reduced to a dull backache because it truly never went away until sunrise."

"Gotcha." Stefan nodded. "Listen, despite how things turned out i'm happy that he had at least one person that he could count on through this. I'm not even sure I could stomach seeing the unflappable Damon Salvatore in such a state." He tapped him lightly on the shoulder. "I think i'm going to go find that doctor."

Enzo weighed the options in his mind as he watched Stefan's retreating form. "It was eight."

"What?" Stefan asked while turning around.

"By the time he was taken we were up to eight people a day. Sometimes his focus wouldn't return until we were on victim number 6. It just depended on the day." Enzo shrugged opting for the truth.

Stefan pushed him back slamming him into the wall in full Vampire mode as the veins under his eye changed. "None of that was worth you coming to me and telling me before."

"He started to forget them. Theirs names, their faces, where we had gone. He was going to quit cold turkey."

Stefan returned to his human form. "What happened?" He pushed him roughly. "What happened?"

"He, he . . . he lost consciousness. He was out for a whole day." Enzo stammered.

"The night Caroline had that bright idea for us to go on a double date and he stood Bonnie up."

"That very night, mate."

"And Elena couldn't reach you on the phone because you were with Damon."

"Trying every trick in the book to wake him. I promise you that." Enzo said sincerely.

"So after that you figured it was eight or nothing."

"I told him it was six and nothing changed at least in his mind anyway."

"What the hell is your problem? You wish you were Damon's brother and not me."

Enzo hissed.

"So not only do you isolate him from any friends and family that might help him, being Alaric, me, Bonnie even. But you take up with his ex-girlfriend, Elena. Maybe you don't want to be me. Maybe you want to be Damon."

Ezno pushed him hitting him across the face.

"Hey, what are you two doing?" Jo yelled out. "You two get it together or I'll have security escort you out."

"You keep anything involving Damon from me again and I'll kill you." Stefan whispered.

Enzo. "Tsk, tsk now Stefan. The real you is showing."

* * *

 **Authors Note:** For the purposes of my story Jo is not a witch and has no clue about Vampires. Just kinda wanted to put a recognizable face to the doc.


	22. Chapter 22

"So we're just going to run some preliminary tests. Its easy I'm just going to ask you some questions. Don't worry if you don't know the answer," Jo said holding a chart as she stood at the foot of his bed.

"Alright," Damon moaned.

"What year is it?" She began.

He looked over at Stefan who was standing on his left near the door. "2016."

"My brother, Stefan," Damon said pointing over to the door. "My friend Enzo," he said pointing a finger at his broody friend standing on his right by the window.

"Good," she nodded turning around the clipboard with a number written on it in gigantic lettering. "What number is this?"

I tried to laugh, but it died in my throat. "52."

She pulled out a small business card from her pocket and pointed to the plain background. "What color is this?"

I sighed quickly growing weary of the whole thing. "Red.'

She smiled. "You passed with flying colors. There appears to be no lasting damage to your brain from the coma you were in. Although we did keep you under for a few days after that for your own safety."

"Is that why I'm seeing double?" I said looking up at the ceiling to steady my gaze.

"That's probably due to the drugs we put you on to help you with the pain.' she replied going over to the IV bag and double checking the levels. "I can always lower the dose a bit."

"Take me off them."

"Damon, listen to the doctor?" Stefan said stepping forward.

Damon grabbed on to the doctor's arm forcefully. "I'm a recovering addict. Take me off them. Please."

She put her hand over his. "You will be in a lot of pain. More than you have ever encountered."

"It took me so long to get off. I can't. I'm ready for whatever comes," he said shaking his head emphatically before releasing her arm.

She nodded. "I'll go write the order." She disappeared out into the hall taking the nurse with her. Leaving Stefan and Enzo alone in the room with him.

"Am I contagious too?" He asked looking at one and then another.

"No, of course not, mate." Enzo replied first. "Why would you ask that?"

"Because you're both standing far away." He asked studying Stefan's expression as he looked at the ground in guilt. He decided to turn to the one person who would tell him the truth. "Is it because I'm human?"

"You know?" Stefan asked venturing closer to the bed.

"Outside of the rhythmic ping coming off this machine as soon as my eyes opened of course I know. It was the first thing I felt." He closed his eyes giving himself a break. The second thing he felt was the dizziness as the medicine took hold.

Stefan glanced towards the door looking out for the doctors return. "We know you need time to recover, but we need to ask about Bonnie?"

"Who?" He asked opening his eyes and staring at Stefan.

"Bonnie, your wife," Enzo relied a bit hurriedly.

"Did we have some secret "Hangover" in Las Vegas I don't know about?"

Stefan opted to leave out the information about her being pregnant at least for the time being. "Bonnie is the woman you were with on the other side."

"No, it wasn't her name was Jennifer or Ashley or something. She was the one who got me hooked on drugs. I was on the other side alone. Although, to be fare to Ashley she only did what I asked." He said as he rubbed his aching forehead hoping the slight migraine was only a temporary symptom.

"Caroline and Elena went to college and their roommate was . . .who?" Stefan asked.

"Is this another test of my memories because sorry guys I doubt I would know the name of their roommate even if I hadn't gotten myself into this situation." He replied unfazed by his answers as the others were appearing to be.

"How did you get yourself into this situation?" Enzo asked hoping there would be a clue somewhere into breaking this new puzzle.

"Mason, he grabbed me and knocked me out. I didn't see how I ended up this way." He said looking at the heart monitor.

"Why were you at the hospital?" Stefan asked looking at Enzo. He already knew the answer, but he wondered if Damon knew.

Damon looked up unsure. "I had heard that Vanessa was there getting a check up alone. I decided to go just in case she needed back up.'

Enzo snorted. "Now we know he's off hos rocker."

"Well, weren't you in the parking lot waiting for me?" Damon asked feeling anxious.

"I was," Enzo said rubbing his shoulder gingerly.

"I'm back," said Jo with her hands in the pockets of her white coat. "I have with me Dr. Drabek he's a specialist in the field of the burns."

"But he wasn't burned," Enzo said unsure of how he would explain the wounds if they pushed any further.

"Yes, but his type of inflictions are normally seen in burn victims. So I've had Dr. Drabek look over his charts and tests."

"Would you like a few moments alone before we begin?" Dr. Drabek asked, a man who looked to be in his forties with a clean balled head.

"No, there family. They need to know."

"Yours is a unique case it is definitely one for the history books." He began.

"How so?" Stefan asked leveling a gaze at Enzo.

"Right now, your wounds are more reminiscent of second degree burns. Which explains the redness and the blisters. It's also why you're in pain."

"How do we fix it?" Enzo interrupted. Needing to cut to the chase.

"Barring any complications, second degree burns would typically be healed in 10 to 14 days,' Jo explained smacking her lips. "With surgery and a few other options."

"But there are complications," Dr. Drabek said walking further into the room to stand at the foot of the bed. "What makes your case unique is that they appear to be getting worse without any outside stimuli. Their changing from their current state into fourth degree burns."

"I've only heard of three." Stefan replied knowing this prognosis was only going to get worse for his brother.

The doctor chuckled lightly. "There are four although the fourth is typically rare."

"And you can't shed any light on how this happened?" Jo asked her brow furrowed.

"No," Enzo sneered.

The doctor cleared his throat. "Normally, if it was just a small area we would slice off the charred areas and give you time to heal from there. If It was just leg or an arm. Than we'd amputate."

"But this is a big area and you can't detach his back." Stefan asked connecting the dots.

"So I'm going to die." He croaked out wishing that the medicine would just render him unconscious right then and there.

"Yes," Dr, Drabek stated plainly.

"The pain will stop because the nerve endings in your back would have died. You will go into shock a little while after and you will simply have died." Jo said looking around at the family to see if they had anymore questions this was always the tougher part of her job.

"How long do I have?" Damon asked.

"Two weeks, tops." Dr. Dabek responded.

"That's all you have to say to him." Enzo said his voice rising. "Well at least the pain will stop! Give it two weeks. Who cares that he loses his life in the process. Or that he doesn't remember his wife or daughter."

Stefan sucked in a sharp breath as he looked upon Damon's stricken face.

"So you two were actually serious. I have a wife and a daughter that I'm not remembering."

"Damon." Stefan whispered.

"Answer me Stefan!" Damon yelled.

"Yes," Stefan nodded.

"I'm going to go ahead and order a CT and a MRI and see if we can find out if there are any reasons for the memory loss." Jo said trailing Dr. Drabek out into the hall as they whispered between each other. Both clueless as to what this next symptom could mean.


	23. Chapter 23

"Good news, he remembers me and even my brief unfortunate rendezvous with Enzo. Bad news is he's no closer to remembering Bonnie or there child. I showed him pictures of her and nothing," Elena said joining the others in the waiting room. Caroline was busy consoling a grief stricken Stefan who was obviously carrying this all on his tense shoulders. He looked up as she approached.

"I scoured the Earth for that witch. There is no other. I've lost my niece and my brother has lost his only child." Stefan responded his jaw clenching.

"On the bright side, you cant miss what you don't remember," Caroline said knowing that as soon as it was out of her mouth that it was too late for her to take it back.

"He will not be this way forever. He will remember and he will know what this means. She is the last of our bloodline. The Benette line. Even if I were to simply forget who she is to our family. How could I ever forget who she is to the world?" He snapped taking Caroline aback.

"There's still hope."

"Ah, Elena, the constant hopeful one," Enzo smirked coming upon them. "Don't you just want to choke her with it?"

Stefan sucked in a harsh breath. "Actually, yes."

"Stefan," Caroline squeaked out aghast.

"Stefan and I both have stayed up half the night running through a thousand different scenarios. None of them end in Damon getting his memory back and the child returning to us unharmed. We have lived a thousand years. Don't you think if there was a solution we would have found it." Enzo said too casually.

He looked at her as if he wanted to rip her heart, right out of her chest. But she paid him no mind. "Not if you're over thinking things. We know where they are now. We can narrow our focus and come up with something a lot better than what we did before."

Stefan stood up and stared her down. "We didn't come up with anything. I did it on my own with the help of Caroline. While you two were off having your fun."

"Now, Stefan. Let bygones be bygones. Before I stump it out of you, mate." Enzo declared in his heavy accent.

Caroline put her foot down and yelled. "Stop it everyone!"

They all turned to look at her.

"Stefan, this time is different. We're all different people and we're going to need to all work together. If we're going to get Bonnie and the baby back and have even half a chance of returning Damon to his former glory," she said a bit sarcastically.

"I was going to go back to Alaric and see what we can find in the ancient books." Elena replied pulling on her jacket and lifting the shoebox of Bonnie's mementos under her arm.

"I'll walk you out. There are a few contacts I can light a fire under and I mean that literally," Enzo said bowing slightly before trailing slightly behind her.

He walked her to her car and an uncomfortable silence fell between them. "You don't have to do this. I might actually begin to think you care."

"Let me, discourage any such thoughts." He pulled out a knife from his sleeve and plunged it into her stomach.

Blood began to seep through her white silk blouse like a tie-dye t-shirt. She tried to laugh, but blood spilled out of her mouth instead. She spit it in his face and wiped at her wet lips. Smearing her blood across the back of her hand. "You know this won't kill me."

"No, love," Enzo replied grinning from ear to ear. "But are those your new white boots you stood in line for all day to get. The ones that are so worth it because there limited edition." He mimicked in a girly voice.

She looked down even as she struggled to hold it together her insides on fire. He was right. She had begged him to buy them for her, which he refused to do. He eventually gave in, but his manly pride would not let him stand in line for them when he could simply compel the cashier to give them to her. It had been one of their better times.

He wiped the blood from his face with a handkerchief that he pulled out of his pocket. "Tell Alaric I said hello."

She watched him leave as he left her in the congested parking lot devoid of any bystanders. Which was actually a relief as she pulled the small dagger from her body. She opened the door to her car and slumped into the driver seat. She closed the door weakly and looked down at the knife. It was actually pretty. A smooth silver edge with a fading grey handle with a small jewel in the middle. It was her birthstone. That couldn't have been by accident. She flung the knife into the passenger side without another thought. I'm going to run him over the next time I see him. She pulled the extra bag of blood she kept in the glove department out and drank from it quickly.

* * *

"I need to go home," Stefan asked in desperate need of some air that wasn't sterile. "Can you stay with him?"

"Sure," she shrugged giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Kiss Emma for me."

"Of course," He said squeezing her hand. He looked towards Damon's window as if he might go in and decided against it and left.

She plastered on a smile and walked into Damon's room. "Hi."

"Just because I'm sick doesn't mean you have to pretend to like me," He said through gritted teeth.

She glanced back at the door wondering if she should call for a nurse. "You don't have to pretend to be strong just because that's what everyone expects."

"I'm." He took a deep breath. "Not doing this for anyone else. I'm doing this for me. I was a drug addict once."

She smiled weakily, "I have heard. A recovery we have Bonnie to thank for."

He smacked his lips and turned his eyes back towards the TV. "As far as I know. I did it myself."

"Is that what you believe?"

"It's what I know," He growled leveling a hard gaze at her.

She broke the stare and looked towards the tv. Not out of any fear of him in his current broken state, but to put him more at ease. "If you need me to call the nurse just say the word. Its not a weakness to need help."

"No," He said less forcibly.

The news was on. Her eyes glazed over a bit as the weather played. "If you did have a child?"

He looked at her pensively.

"If you did and it was a girl. What would you name her? My Emma was already Emma when I met her, but I couldn't picture myself calling her anything else."

"Before I died children was the furthest thing from my mind," He gripped the edge of bed tensely. "Becoming a vampire in all its glory made it a nonissue one that I didn't lose any sleep over. But forever is a long time and I did consider that question at one time. Tortured myself if you will." His teeth chattered from the pain. "Mila Rose."

"One of the names on the board?" Caroline asked surprised having thought this whole time that Bonnie came up with most of those names.

"What board?" He asked his brow creased.

She started to answer,but she snatched the remote from his hand as soon as the pictures of the children played over the tv. "I completely forgot about them?"

He took audible deep breaths trying to control the urge to scream out. "Who?"

She turned up the volume a bit.

 _"Six children from Hyde Elementary School - Kindergarten class won free trips to Disneyland. Entered in by there teacher Mrs. Nuveen._

 _"I think I had completely forgotten that I even did it. You know you do these things and you never expect to win."_

 _"How did you choose the winning students?" The reporter asked shoving the mic in the woman's face._

 _"I love all my students, but I decided to give it to the ones who have been working the hardest and these 6 little girls really deserve it."_

 _"Back to you at the studio."_

"Are those kids from your daughters class?"

She turned the tv down. "You seriously don't remember."

"Remember what?"

"That you killed those children, but now there alive as if . . . as if nothing happened."

"You're lying," he said looking up at the ceiling as he clutched at his chest. Trying desperately to remember.

"No, Damon. You're the one lying," she sneered as she leaned over his bed. Her eyes turning black.

"What is going on in here?" A nurse said from somewhere behind her.

Caroline quickly recovered and sat back down in her chair. "He's in pain."

The nurse rolled her eyes. "I'm afraid that's unavoidable." She raised her voice. "Unless Damon is ready for some real meds."

"No, don't listen to her," He said tears welling up in his eyes.

She waited until the nurse left them alone. "Are those tears because you killed those children? Or because you're lying about forgetting?"

He pressed the call button frantically to the nurse station. "Neither."

She stood up as she looked towards his heart monitor. It was slowing down. His heart was stopping.


	24. Chapter 24

"Give him something for the pain. I'm his next of kin and I override whatever stupid concerns he has," Stefan demanded.

"I'm afraid that it's just not that simple," Jo tried to explain growing frustrated. "Damon's of sound mind and body and unless you can get him declared incompetent in a court of law. We have to go by his wishes. He's my patient and if he doesn't want to be on these mind altering drugs. You all should respect that."

"Okay, will just get him declared crazy. Considering he can't remember his wife. I don't think that would be especially hard," Enzo piped in.

Caroline's mouth dropped open. "Are you serious? He'd never forgive you."

"Maybe not for a few centuries, but he'd get over it.

Alaric frowned as he looked upon the doctors face. "He's just joking."

"It's getting late. I have a few more patients to see, but please call me if you need anything else." Jo replied faintly before hurrying down the hall.

"We almost lost him today and I was home taking a shower," Stefan replied his shoulder slumped.

Caroline wrapped her arms around her husbands shoulders. "You cant begin to take care of him unless you take care of yourself first."

"Well, hopefully I can take one problem off of your to do list," Alaric said looking around the group. Now was a better time as any. "I've found a spell that could bring Bonnie home."

"Why didn't you say that earlier," Caroline exclaimed enveloping Alaric into a huge hug as she jumped for joy.

"I can be out hunting for the perfect witch right now and you're holding back information." Enzo sneered.

Caroline released her grasp from around Alarics neck. "Oh shut up."

"What do we need?" Stefan asked standing up a little straighter.

"It's completely different than the one we used the first time. In fact it might be to early to celebrate," He said looking at Caroline over his lashes. "Because we're missing the main ingredient."

"Whatever it is I will retrieve it." Enzo said tired of the theatrics.

"The spell needs the blood of a Bennett witch."

Caroline's blood ran cold as she stepped away from the group. "There are no Bennett witches."

"Its not like Bonnie kept a vial of her blood around the house for emergencies either. Dammit," Stefan said fuming as he hit the wall next to Alaric. Creating a small dent.

Caroline looked around a tad scared that the nurses might have noticed. "Lets go to the roof." She said already pushing him towards the emergency stairs. "You need to get some air."

"For once Caroline has the right idea. I think I'm going to head to the lobby and pick up a nice looking nurse," Enzo said turning around. "Stay with him friend, text me if he wakes."

"Yeah," Alaric shrugged. He turned and looked at the unconscious body of Damon. He looked so peaceful there.

* * *

Enzo stood outside in the open air wishing that he actually smoked. He saw a nurse come out of the revolving doors and head to the outer parking lot. His eyes twinkled a bit. Even if the world does change. Somethings stay the same he thought as he began to slink behind her. Before he knew it he was hurtling into the air before landing with a thud on the cement behind a blue pickup truck. He cried out as he looked down at his leg to see a white bone sticking out. He was going to kill whoever did this. He looked up to see the back of the truck.

Elena was leaning over the rear full size bed. A triumphant look on her face as she forced a small pout. "Aww, did you break something." She hit the back window twice and the truck roared to life as he left the parking lot.

Enzo braced himself as he popped the leg back in place.

"I saw what happened. Are you alright?" The nurse from earlier asked as she approached in a panic.

Enzo grit his teeth. "No, but I will be." He sank his teeth into the nurse's neck. Taking just enough to heal his leg and then release her. "Go home. You won't remember how you got the bites." He stood up and looked into the distance of where his former flame disappeared. He smelled the air and tried to sense her. He used his vampire speed and took down the road. He caught up with her a little ways away. He watched from afar as the car made a slow trek up the hill. He took advantage of its momentum lag and jumped into the back seat.

She pushed her back against the front of the cab. Having no place to run.

Enzo nodded towards the driver seat. "Why is he driving?"

"I can't gloat and drive at the same time."

He stared for a moment waiting for her to say more.

"I also needed a ride home."

"You don't have a home," Enzo said snidely.

She stood on her knees and slapped him across the face. "I hate you."

"The feeling is mutual, love."

She leaned over and kissed him on his lips. "Still hate you."

He threw off her jacket and ran his hands underneath her top. "As much as I hate hearing your voice right now. Doubt it sincerely love."

They continued to make love in the back of the old man's pickup truck. Not caring who might see them underneath the moonlight.

* * *

"Everyone gone?" Caroline asked going back to the room to see Alaric there alone.

"Yeah," He nodded rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He had just been nodding off. "Stefan?"

She stepped further into the room. "Home. Tucking Emma in right about now. She seems to calm him."

"Why didn't you go?" Alaric asked sitting up a little in the chair.

"Because he needs someone here. He's so scared of not being here when it happens," she nodded swallowing the lump in her throat.

"I can stay if you want?" Alaric offered.

"No, go." She waved him off. "Our resident researcher needs all the sleep he can get."

He nodded and stood up. He got to the door and looked over in a whisper, "Even if we had the main ingredient to the spell. Something like this is going to take a lot of power and we couldn't possibly find a witch in time enough."

"It's alright. I don't blame you and I will make sure that Stefan doesn't either." She took the seat that Alaric had vacated moments earlier. The tv was now off and Damon was stills sleeping soundlessly. She kicked a book at her feet and looked down to see what it was. It was Alaric's journal. She leafed through the pages and realized quickly that it included the spell and various notes and research on Kahlan. She started to get up and look for him and thought better of it. She would see him tomorrow and everyone needed there sleep.

"Thank God, Someone's still here," Jeremy said rushing into Damon's room.

"Jeremy its late. Now is not the time." Caroline said shaking her head. Wondering how he got pass the nurses at the reception desk.

"You have to listen. I have something that might jog Damon's memory. It's a video from where they found him. Matt got ahold of it before anyone asked too many questions."

Caroline sighed and looked at the dvd case and frowned. "We all know what your feelings are towards Damon. Why would you do something like this for him?"

"Because as much as I may hate it. He's the only one that might be able to bring her back. Alaric's way didn't pan out. I know plan B when I see it."

"Caroline move out of the way." Damon said hoarsely.


	25. Chapter 25

Caroline stood by the door wondering if she should call Stefan in for this. Damon had just woken up after having a mild heart attack and being unconscious for several hours. He'd never forgive her if something happened to him on her watch. Still she wanted Bonnie back as well. So didn't her friend deserve this try. She went over to the small bed tray and picked up the remote and placed play. Turning the volume up a bit. A black and white grainy video played.

"You may want to fast forward. For most of the video he's in there alone after Mason drops him off." Jeremy said standing to the side his eyes trained intently on the video.

She did as she was told and stopped when she saw Bonnie's small frame enter into the shop.

 _Bonnie took his hands in hers, touching his wedding band and twirling it on his finger._

 _"You're going to wake up and you're going to be extremely pissed and angry," she said her chin trembling. "And then you're going to be sad and depressed."_

She looked back at the window. But if she saw something there they couldn't tell.

 _"When you're angry I need you to go to that place by the river. Where we first found each other in Kahlan. I want you to go there and scream and let it all out. Curse my name, but do not take this out on anyone else, but me._ _When you're sad and missing me and the baby. Go to her room where we were keeping the chalk board of potential baby names that we couldn't decide from. There's a picture of my last ultrasound hanging there. Kiss it and remember us fondly. I was also thinking that since its a girl that you are right. We should name her Mila-Rose."_

She bent down and kissed Damon on his cheek, tears coursing down her cheeks now.

 _"I'm so sorry baby. Don't hate me."_

 _"Bonnie. What's going on?"_

She ignored his question and turned to leave without saying anything at all. Disappearing off the screen.

 _"Bonnie, help me."_ He called out jerking on his restraints. _"Bonnie, I love you."_

Caroline paused the screen as it was made very clear that she wasn't coming back.

"She left me in that room alone." He murmured. "She said goodbye as if she never intended to come back."

Caroline leveled a hard gaze at Jeremy wishing that he had warned her about the contents first. "You called her name. So you still had your memory then."

"Do you have your memory now?" Jeremy asked looking at him anxiously.

"No, I might as well have been watching a movie starring me. But I don't have any connection to it." Damon replied shaking his head the memory of seeing her walk out on him playing on repeat in his head.

"No connection. She's carrying your abomination."

"Slow down, Jeremy." Caroline said fuming.

"She's only in this mess because of him and her own poor decision making. He's lying there helplessly because he wants to forget everything that she did to him."

"Jeremy, you're not being fair here. You're over simplifying things a lot." Caroline said going around the bed and pushing him away from it.

"Is that why he's not protesting because the truth is he doesn't want to remember her," Jeremy screamed pushing past her and heading towards the door. "The rest of the tape gets blurry after that. So does the audio, but you can clearly see that Mason comes in shortly after. He turns Damon human because Bonnie told him to."

"She wouldn't do that!" Caroline replied stunned.

"I'd tell you to ask him, but he's," he raised up his hands making air quotes. "Forgotten."

Caroline turned her head towards Damon. "Just like you had forgotten about the children."

Damon looked at her. "I didn't tell you I had lost my memory. Stefan and the doctor did that. And I haven't taken vervain since I've been in here. So I tell you what, you want to know the truth beyond a shadow of a doubt. Just ask me Caroline. Compel it out of me."

She leaned down and stared into his eyes. "Damon are you forgetting Bonnie and the children on purpose?"

"No," he replied flatly.

She squinted her eyes and thought that she needed a better test. "If you are telling the truth. Get out of bed and hop on one leg." Damon had been given strick instructions not to leave the bed without assistance as it would ruin his chances of recovery. That it would end up doing more harm than good. There was no way that he would put that in jeopardy just to continue this lie. He was too selfish that way.

He began to move the covers from around his legs and slowly moved his stiff legs to the edge of the bed. He put one foot on the floor and she stopped him in his tracks. "Enough. Stop. You're telling the truth."

He snapped out of his stupor and looked down at his legs. "What the hell, Caroline?"

"Sorry," she replied meekly. "Are you in pain?"

He leaned back in bed and moved his legs back into place. "No."

"No," she said raising an eyebrow at him. "Don't make me compel you again. Tell the truth."

"I woke up for the first time when Alaric was in here reading from his journal. My first thought was that my nose itched." He snorted. "My nose. Such a miniscule problem that I never would have noticed before if it didn't mean -"

She gasped. "That your cells are dying." She went over to her bag left by the chair. "I'm calling Stefan."

He grabbed on to her forearm. "Don't not yet. Not until you hear me out."

She sat down in the chair cradling her phone in her hand. "Hear you out about what?"

"I don't remember Bonnie, but I remember Kahlan and I remember you. You and Stefan are great parents. And I'm not doubting Bonnie's abilities for a second because I know that she doesn't need me. Human or vampire. She needs you two. She shouldn't have to raise Mila in that empty world filled with those empty promises and nothing meaningful to grab on to."

"Don't you think I know that. We're all looking for ways to bring her back." Caroline stated feeling guiltier by the second that she hadn't been in on any of the research instead staying home and taking care of Emma.

"But you don't need to look anymore." His eyes glanced towards Alaric's journal. "I heard him reading it. I know I can do the spell."

"That's crazy," she said dialing Stefan's number. "Because if you had've heard than you missed the part that said we needed a Bennett witch or her blood."

"I have her blood."

Caroline's finger hovered above the call button. "What?"

"If she was my wife and she was human as Enzo has explained. Than I was most likely feeding off her. Now that I am human I still could have some of her essence inside of me no matter how small. I can do this spell."

"There's no way that she would allow you to feed off her," Caroline scoffed.

"Are you sure? Because her life depends on it?"

She searched her memory and couldn't remember seeing anything odd around her neck ever. She did use to. "Oh my God. You bastard?"

"Excuse me?"

"She used to wear her watch backwards at the oddest times. I would tease her about it, but she would just claim that I was out of touch with fashion. As if I could ever be slow on the times. But it was just a distraction. She was hiding your bite marks on her wrist."

He smiled relieved. "So we can try this?"

"You could die?"

"I'm dying anyway. I could have a couple of hours now, a day maybe. I want my last moments to be of me reuniting my daughter with her family."

She bit her lip. "Stefan would never forgive me."

"Every hour here is a day over there. Caroline she's raising our beautiful girl alone. If that's my fault let me fix it."

"Fine, what do you need me to do?" She asked pocketing her cell phone.

"Go to the hospital chapel and steal one of the candles from there."

She frowned.

"Unless, you know of another place. Feel free to search. I'll just be here slowly rotting away," he snarked at her as he rolled his eyes.

"No, no. Go on."

"So you need to draw a door on the wall in a place that she frequented a lot."

"Like your bedroom?" Caroline asked.

"Sure, but you need to draw it in my blood. Text me and let me know you've done it and I'll start to recite the spell. If it works you'll know it before I will."

"How so?"

He shrugged. "They'll come through the door."

"And if they don't?" Caroline asked not wanting to think about it.

He sighed. "It will probably be more your problem then mine."

She got up ready to grab the supplies he asked for. She handed him over the book. "This is really good of you."

"I'm not good," he replied back. "Which is why if this works I don't expect you to lie to my daughter when she asks you who I am."

"I wouldn't think of it."

He looked down at the journal. Leafing through its tattered and worn through pages. Looking for the spell. "Still, can you find it in your heart to say one good thing."

"I think I can manage that." She said with a small smile.

She walked to the door.

"Can you tell Bonnie that there's no hard feelings. Whatever I did to her? . . . I'm sure -"

She nodded.


	26. Chapter 26

**Kahlan**

Bonnie stood in the kitchen of the Salvatore home that she had been calling her own for the past year. She thought if she stayed here instead of finding her own place that she'd somehow still be connected to him. She wondered what he was doing now. Was he looking for them? Did he hate her? She brought the knife down on the cutting board slicing into a carrot. Cutting them into small pieces. She looked over at her daughter who was babbling joyfully. Finishing off the remnants of apple slices she had placed on the high chair. Getting a little in her soft brown curls.

"Are you watching mommy cook?" She said to her daughter playfully. She set down the knife and wiped her hands on her apron. Going over to her daughter and planting some kisses on her puffy cheeks. She tasted like apples.

"I don't think she is, but I am?" Mason sad.

She jumped. "Oh God." She clutched at her chest to see Mason leaning casually against the door jamb. She rolled her eyes and went back to the kitchen counter to cut up the rest of the carrots. "Stalking again. . . I seem to forget that's your most favorite pastime."

"It's not stalking if you're welcome." He said going over to the baby and picking her up.

"Which I regret every moment of every day," she sad through gritted teeth. Dumping the finished carrots into a boiling pot on the stove. She wiped at her hands one last time and untied the apron throwing it on the island in the kitchen. "Alright Mason hand her over. Diaper check time." She said holding out her hands to her little one.

The baby whimpered a bit as she changed hands. She then looked over at mason. "DaDa."

"Did she just. . ."

The frown that already tugged at the corner of her mouth seemed to deepen. "No, no baby. That's not dada?"

"Oh sure it is. I'm all she knows." He said reaching back for the baby.

She stepped out of his reach. "Mason would you just go."

"I can't leave now she just said her first word."

"And her father's missing it," she said sternly leveling a hard gaze at him.

He smacked his lips and looked back at the baby. "Mason will be back hun." He said straining over his name as he disappeared into nothing.

She kissed her baby on the forehead. "Don't listen to him sweetie. Daddy's not here." She pulled out the necklace from around her neck and opened up the locket. "See sweetie. This is daddy. His name is Damon and he's not here." Her shoulders slumped as she walked out of the kitchen ad took the stairs one at a time up to the baby's room. "And that's all mommy's fault."

 **Kahlan - Two Year's Later**

"Come on baby. Come on baby," she said cheering her daughter on as she rode her tricycle by herself for the first time. Waving at her as she rode down the block.

"Nice to know that those training wheels I put on her are coming to good use." He said popping in next time.

Nothing could wipe the huge grin off of her face not even seeing Mason. "Remind me again to put a warning system outside." She shielded her eyes against the brightness of the summer sun.

"I'm hurt," he said mockingly pointing to his chest. "Especially when I think about what a great surrogate father I have been to little Bonnie."

She sighed inwardly. "I appreciate you putting the bike together while I was sleeping. Even though I told you I would do it myself in the morning. But I need you. Hey look at me." She screamed directing his attention back to her. She glanced at her daughter quickly who was already turning around and making her way back to her. "I need you to stop confusing her or I'm going to have to ask, no demand that you stay the hell away from her. Her father is Damon Salvatore not some fake angel named Mason."

"We're family now Bonnie. The sooner you come to accept that the better."

She laughed to herself. "You are not my family."

"Don't fight. Don't fight." Her little munchkin yelled. Sitting on her tricycle at their feet. Neither one of them had seen her roll up.

"Baby we talked about this." She said kneeling down to get on the same level as the girl. "Mason and I aren't always going to agree, but we love you just the same." She turned the tricycle around pointing it in the opposite direction. "Now go finish riding your bike."

"I bet you wouldn't argue with daddy this much." She said peddling away before either of them could chastise her.

Bonnie stood up and laughed casting Mason a knowing look who joined in with her. She figured that this was a good a time as any to get some information from him. "How long have you think we've been here?"

"Three years and some months I would assume looking at little Bonnie."

She waved at her daughter who waved back and blew her a kiss. "Earth time I mean?"

He swallowed slowly. "I'm not sure."

"Mason I want to know what's happening to Damon and the others. What's going on with them?"

"I don't know."

"Why are you lying to me?" She yelled unintentionally raising her voice. She stilled herself and started again. "I would like to be able to tell her that everything is okay back on Earth where daddy lives. But I can't because I don't know if its true or not."

"Nether do I, Bonnie. I don't concern myself with the lives of mortals. I have many here that I look over."

She bit the inside of her cheek. "At least I left him a vampire. Being human would be torturous for him, knowing what he went through here. I can only hope he's moved past the pain the other world caused."

He disappeared into vapor. "Perhaps."

 **Kahlan - Later That Year**

"Winter came so fast?" She said cheerfully rubbing her gloves together. Making small talk with one of the assistant teachers as she waited in line to be seated. Overlooking a very crowded auditorium. She was beginning to think that there were more than just parents here. What kind of pressure must this be for Kindergartener to perform in front of your family and everyone else's extended family.

"Allow me to take your coat."

"Of course," she said shrugging off her thick black winter coat with fur around the hood.

"She's been talking about this for a week now. She's quite excited about her solo recital." Mason replied beside her handing off his trench coat.

"We're excited to see what she can do as well. I've heard those ballet classes have really paid off." She said giving them a ticket that matched their coats. She was paying an arm and a leg for those classes. You would think knowing the guy in charge of this universe would give her a little leg up. But no he wanted everything to be realistic. Even the inflated prices so she was on her own. "She enjoys it so that means its worth it." One of the older students who looked to be in about 8th grade approached them.

A stack of dwindling programs in his hand. "Follow me."

She leaned over to mason and whispered. "Do Angels really get cold?"

"Of course not, but it would have been silly to walk in here with nothing." She was prepared to argue with the sensibilities of that comment considering he could just mind wipe anyone who found out, but stopped as they were showed to a almost packed row. She took the offered program and they excused themselves as they lumbered past the rows of people. She fanned herself with the program. "Well at least we know she's not freezing when she's in class."

"It is hot In here." He replied placing one arm behind her chair.

She sat up a bit and ignored the gesture. She looked down at the program.

"it appears as if Little Bonnie will be going on halfway through."

She smacked the program against her hands. "Well, there goes my chance of sneaking out after she was done."

"I don't know I think I maybe able to arrange that."

She frowned and leaned away from him. She was not going to take any more favors from him. They weren't gifts. They were reminders of her mistake to ever come here in the first place. She clapped when she was supposed to and laughed when everyone else did, but she couldn't keep her mind off her predicament. They had been here three years and it hadn't gotten any easier. In fact now that her baby could talk it had gotten harder. Still all she had to do was look upon her babies face to realize that it was worth it. That she couldn't imagine being without her child for even one second. She was proud that she was able to give those parents back those memories and that time. But why did she feel like she was punishing herself for his crime too. She stood up and clapped enthusiastically as her child bounced across the stage I her pink tutu. She sat back down as the music began to play and she began to do her twirl.

"You son of a bitch. I have you now."

She looked around as the crowd froze in their place. Everyone except her daughter. She stood up and looked towards her left to see Veronica blocking the path. She moved through the aisle like a snack and all Bonnie could think about was getting to her daughter who had stopped dancing.

"Mommy what's happening? Why isn't the music playing?"

She looked towards her baby. "Don't move baby, mommy's coming." She looked over her shoulder as Veronica slowly approached Mason who was on his feet.

"You don't want to provoke me." He said a voice harsher than she was used to hearing.

She walked on stage and picked up her child into her arms. She looked scared her warm eyes unusually bright. "What's wrong with teacher?" She said pointing off stage where the woman stood with a group of children behind her. Frozen in a moment of joy.

"Teachers sick." The girl said beginning to cry.

"Close your eyes baby." She said pushing her head down.

She watched as Veronica threw something at Mason's body.

He took flight circling over the crowd. "Another one of your concoctions."

Veronica took off running towards the stage. "If I can't find away to destroy him. I'm just going to make do with the woman who brought me here."

She jumped up on the stage and ran past the teacher. Mason floated in front of her. "I'm going to make sure she doesn't hurt you. I'll find her."

"Is uncle Mason a bird?"

She looked at her unsure how to answer as the audience unfroze and the music began to play. She put her prima ballerina back on the stage. She smiled awkwardly. "She just got stage fright."


	27. Chapter 27

**Back On Earth:**

Caroline stood in Damon's room and for the first time noticed that it was more Bonnie than anything else in the house. How did this escape her notice for so long. Damon must have given her cart blanche on the room. On the bed there was a leopard print blanket tossed casually over the bed. It stood out against Damon's style of black and more black. So did the items of baby things stacked in the corner. Items she had yet to open received from friends and well wishers. Her slippers were peeking out from underneath the bed. Her clothes were still strewn on the floor in front of their armoire. Like she had gotten dressed in a hurry. The bed covered in purple throw pillows. Her favorite color.

She walked over to the closet and picked up a small chalkboard that had a few baby names listed on it. Nia was the first and Mila-Rose was the last. She put the board down and grabbed the cup that she had set by the door. She pushed away a tall dresser that was up against a wall. Hoping against hope that the screeching across the floor wouldn't wake Emma.

She picked up one of Bonnie's blouses from the floor and dipped the tip of it into the cup of Damon's blood. She started from the bottom of the wall and went all the way up and around. Even creating a little door knob.

"What the hell are you doing?" Stefan asked standing in the doorway to Damon's room.

"I'm doing the spell to bring Bonnie back." She said nervously.

"But we can't do that spell. We don't have a Bennett," He said looking at me wearily as he came a little closer. "Whose blood is it?"

She backed away straight into the wall. "Damon's been around for centuries. He probably knows more about witches than most witches. Plus he has a little bit of the Bennett blood in him."

"Tell me you didn't?" He said smelling the air wondering why he hadn't noticed it sooner.

"I'm just doing what I was told."

He used his speed to bridge the gap between them. He tugged on the end of her blond hair lightly before running his fingers through it. He looked at her lovingly before turning full vamp. He grasp onto her hair.

"Stefan, your hurting me."

"If he dies . . ."

She closed her eyes and when she opened them again he was gone. Nothing, but a soft breeze against her cheek. She pulled out her phone and texted Damon.

"If you're going to do this. You need to do it now because he's coming."

She looked back at her makeshift door and sat on the bed. This had to work. Her marriage depended on it.

* * *

Damon looked at the phone as it vibrated across the table. He read the message quickly and got to work. The book already open onto the page.

 _licentia mihi vox , quod operor meus bidding huic vultus!_

 _no ko ne wa to ka la fa tena heku nato_

 _Before time and after. Before knowing and nothing._

 _Bonnie, come forward. Oh Blessed one._

 _Cross Over._

 _See the door in front of you. Let the door show you your true location._

 _licentia mihi vox , quod operor meus bidding huic vultus!_

 _no ko ne wa to ka la fa tena heku nato_

His nose began to bleed, but he continued on focused on the flame. He repeated it several more times sweat pooling on his forehead.

"Damon, stop," Stefan screamed coming into the room to find his brother barely hanging on. He blew out the candle.

The black pupils of Damon's eyes disappeared leaving nothing, but the whites of his eyes. "May God have mercy on my soul."

* * *

Caroline stood up as the wall began to shake and glow where she had drew the makeshift door in blood that was now dripping down.

"Mommy, I'm scared," Emma said appearing in the doorway her teddy bear in hand.

Caroline picked her up and backed away from the bed standing near the door. "Don't be scared. Mommies here."

She squeezed her eye shuts against the blinding white light. Covering Emma's eyes with her hands.

"Look Mommy, a door," called out Mila Rose getting up from her chair and running towards the door in the middle of their kitchen. She turned the knob.

Bonnie screamed. "Mila, Don't?"

She ran through the door unbridled.

"Bonnie, don't leave, I love you." Mason groaned as he appeared in the kitchen.

Bonnie wasted no time chasing after her daughter. But stopped as soon as she noticed that she was back upstairs.

"Who are you?" Mila asked looking up at the little girl.

"Momma, momma look. A little girl came out of the wall," Emma shrieked in surprise.

"Caroline."

* * *

Damon's clammy skin turned pale. His pulse began to slow down dramatically.

"Not now." Stefan declared biting into his wrist.

"What are you doing?" Damon whispered pushing his brothers arm away weakly as he fell back onto the bed in a cold sweat.

"I'm saving your life."

Stefan looked at the heart monitor that was beeping slowly. "Drink?"

He shook his head. "No."

"No?"

"You can't cure illness. Remember what happened to Caroline's mom." Damon said not wanting to die a slow death. This was torturous enough. Wasting away in a room helplessly. While the world moved around you and you weren't allowed to move with it. He feared what was on the other side, but at least he knew what awaited him. He couldn't stand the idea of being a shell of his former self with a huge part of his life altered. He didn't know who he was here. No better than he did in Kahlan. Maybe hell was where he belonged. A migrane split his head in two. He clutched at his forehead. His breath coming out in short bursts as he struggled for breath. The tightness increasing around his heart.

"Damon, look at me," He said placing his hands on either side of Damon's face. The wound he had opened already healing. "You're my brother. I need you. Stay with me." He bit into his wrist and forced the blood down his brother's throat.

Damon began to choke on it. His eyes rolling back into his head as he went unconscious. The alarms sounded warning the nurses that he had flat lined. He backed away from his brother as the nurses rushed the room. "Bring him back?"

The nurse looked down at his chart. She shook at her head at the other nurses.

"No What! No what?" Stefan demanded.

"He signed a DNR, sir. It means do not resuscitate," the nurse explained.

He snatched the chart from her hand and saw his brothers signature at the bottom of the form. So his brother really wasn't coming back. He had to turn him, himself. "Get out."

"We can give you a few minutes," the nurse said reaching for the chart.

He handed it back to her.

She nodded for the other nurse to turn the machines off. "I do apologize, for this."

He sat at his bedside looking at him in fear as his eyes brimmed with tears. He hadn't come back yet. He wanted him to come back even if it meant he had to explain to the nurses how. He just wanted to see him take his first breath. "Damon. come on. I gave you my blood." He took his hand as his bottom lip began to tremble. "You're my brother. You're supposed to be there to get on my nerves forever."

A sharp knock came at the door. Stefan looked up to see two orderlies standing awkwardly in the doorway.

"We received a page that the patient needed to be sent down to the morgue. We can give you more time if you need it."

Stefan looked back at his brother. If he was going to wake up then he would have by now. "No, go ahead you can take him." He stood up and went out into the waiting room unable to bring himself to watch. He sank down into the chairs and looked up at the ceiling. A big part of his life was gone again this time for good. He looked back as the orderlies brought him out of the room a white sheet draped over his body. He briefly wondered if he should go with. If Damon would sense that he wasn't there and would be lonely. He decided against it as the body disappeared inside the service elevator and Caroline stepped out of the main one.


	28. Chapter 28

She didn't want to ask, the devastation was written on his face. The harsh lighting of the hospital ceiling couldn't hide the dark shadows looming over him. "Is he?"

"Yeah he's gone," he said rubbing his forehead as if he had a migraine.

She went to him wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Don't touch me." He pushed her away and went to the elevator pressing the down button.

She stepped on to the elevator with him. Determined to make him see reason. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to go hug my baby because I won't be seeing her for awhile."

"Stefan, you have to understand it was for Bonnie."

He tore his eyes away from the little red numbers that were slowly descending over the closed elevator doors. "I'm going to go home and I'm going to hug her and I'm going to try to remember what she smells like and what her hair feels like when it tickles my arm. Because in the morning I have to tell Emma goodbye because she wont be staying with me anymore. Because mommy doesn't live with me, anymore."

"You're kicking me out?" Caroline asked stunned.

"It's all I've been able to think about since his heart machine went flat." He turned back to the hypnotic numbers. "Since the blood I gave him didn't work. What would I say to Emma?" He ran his tongue along his bottom lip. "Simple is always best with these things. Maybe something like Mommy did something really bad without talking to me first. If I allowed her to stay I'd have to stake her."

"I know you're being sarcastic so I'm not going to tell you how angry I am right now that you said that. And I know you're not going to listen to me -"

"Nothing, you say will make this better." He screamed unable to control his emotions as he turned full vamp. "Nothing."

The elevator dinged as it arrived on the first floor and just as quickly as it came he was back to normal and smiling at the little old lady waiting to get in. She took a deep breath. "So allow me to show you why I did it." She took his reluctant hand and pushed him over to a small waiting area. But Bonnie was no where to be seen. Neither was her little girl. "There not here."

"So you played God and decided that Bonnie's life was worth more than Damon's and this is supposed to make me happy." He snapped.

"Mr. Salvatore," a security guard yelled out from behind a reception desk.

"Here," he said turning around and going up to the desk.

"The nurse wanted me to catch you before you leave. There are a few documents you need to sign. If it's easier she can bring them down to you," the guard asking cradling the phone in his hand.

"Yeah sure," He responded. Whatever would get him away from Caroline sooner.

Caroline looked around. She had to find them both. He had to see his niece. If she were Bonnie where would she go? She was just upstairs she would have seen her if she tried to go up to Damon's room. Her eyes caught sight of the room signs. It said the morgue was just down the hall. She looked back at Stefan who was actively trying not to look her way. She had nothing else to lose. The hall was eerily quiet as she walked through two double doors and saw Bonnie standing near a viewing window clutching on to her daughters hand who was trying furiously to pull away.

"What are you doing sweetie?"

"I want to go see him."

She knelt down on one leg. "Mila Rose, come to auntie."

Bonnie released her hand and the excited girl came rushing into Caroline's arms. She had Damon's eyes. She lifted the girl up into her arms and noticed what she was wearing for the first time. She briefly wondered what time it was there because she had on a pale pink sundress.

"Mommy said daddies in there," Mila whispered into my ear.

I smiled sadly. "He is."

"Can I go see him too?" she asked innocently.

"Will see what Mommy says when she comes back?"

The girls brow creased a little as she ran her hands through her short black bangs. Her hair pulled back into a curly ponytail. "That's what mommy said."

Caroline was going to say something else to comfort the obviously distressed little girl, but the sight of Bonnie tugged at her heart strings. "Mila stay here." She put the little girl down and opened her arms to her mother.

"Caroline, he's gone," Bonnie gasped unable to breath as she fell into her friends arms sobbing uncontrollably.

Tears welled up in the little girls eyes as she saw her mommy crying. She tugged on her mothers skirt. "Mommy, I want to see daddy too?"

"Stop, Mila," Bonnie cried out into Caroline's shoulder. Waving off the girls grasp.

"SSSh, ssssh," said Caroline rubbing Bonnie's hair consolingly.

Neither one saw as the little girl slipped into the room behind them.

Their was a large table in the center of the room. She could barely make out the silhouette of someone lying there. It must be daddy sleeping. She pulled at the white sheet revealing his face and upper torso. "Daddy wake up. Why did you make mommy cry?"

She looked around and saw a stool near a file cabinet. She pushed it over to the table and stood up top. She pushed his arm lightly. "Daddy wake up."

He sat up straight shaking.

She bent down not sure if she wanted to see him now. Scared and unsure of where she should go.

He felt the hunger pains immediately. He looked towards the sound of a small heart beat. But made no move to bite her. As frightened eyes that looked just like his looked up at him. "Who the hell are you?"

She smiled. "You're not supposed to say bad words. Daddy?"

"Mila?" Bonnie screamed busting open the door with Caroline and Stefan trailing behind.

"Damon?" Everyone said in unison.

He grabbed the little girl and sat her beside him on the table. Thoroughly enjoying everyone's shocked expressions. "Missed me?"

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Shorter Chapter. Mostly because Chapter 29 is the end. Let me know if you still have questions and I'll try to wrap them up in the next chapter.


	29. Chapter 29

"How is he still alive?" Caroline asked astonished.

"It doesn't matter." Stefan said stepping forward and helping his brother off the table. Who seemed to have a firm grip on the girl. "A man who is supposed to be dead just woke up in a hospital. We've got to get him out of here."

"We can take my car?" Jeremy piped in appearing in the doorway.

Stefan looked at him wearily.

"Its fine, really, we can take my car."

Stefan turned back towards Damon shrugging of his leather jacket. "Here put the kid down and put this on."

"She's not going anywhere," Damon said a bit more sternly than he had intended.

"Fine." Stefan drapped the leather jacket over his shoulders and helped him down from the morgue's slab.

They were able to make it to the car without too many people asking questions. Damon threw his head back on the hot leather seats and closed his eyes. His daughter's ahnd still in his as she squirmed on the seats next to him.

"Listen, I'm going to stay behind and help Stefan clear up some of this mess." Caroline said sticking her head into the passenger side window.

"She's not coming with me." He said his head bolting up right.

"No, she's not," she said raising an eyebrow at him. "I was supposed to tell you that you can take her back to the house. "Elena's on her way shes going to pick all of us up then."

"Fine." He kicked the back off Jeremy's seat. "Let's go."

The little girl waved goodbye and blew kisses out of the back window to who he could only assume was Bonnie. He refused to look back at her. He looked at Jeremy through the rearview mirror. "I'm fucking starving."

The little girl frowned. "Daddy, you're cursing again."

He cleared his throat and plastered on a fake smile before addressing Jeremy again. "I need some prune juice."

"Can I have some prune juice?"

"No this kind of prune juice is just for vamps." He smiled tickling the little girls belly. Her laughter was like music to his ears.

"There's some prune juice back at the house." Jeremy said with a little wink.

"On the plus side of things. I have myself control back. In another life I would have. . . ." He trailed off not wanting to say anything more in front of his daughter. Who was listening with rapt attention at every word he said.

"I offered to drive you because I heard what you did. That was pretty selfless. We probably wouldn't have them back now if it weren't for you."

Damon turned and kissed the top of his daughters head. She was already getting sleepy. Her head leaning against his forearm. He played with her curls. "We got to get a car seat. Isn't that what responsible adults do. Get car seats."

"A car seat in your chick magnet. I'd love to see the day?" Jeremy snorted.

He shrugged as they pulled up in front of the his mansion. That he never thought he would see again. "I guess I'll just have to get another car." He opened the passenger side door and lifted Mila into his arms.

"Can I have it?" Jeremy asked leaning half way out the drivers seat.

"No."

He stumped up the stairs and placed his daughter in his bed. The crib wasn't right for her now. He'd have to change the room to make it fit. In the meantime, he would sleep on the floor and give her the whole king size bed. She stirred from her sleep. "I'm hungry."

He looked towards the door to the room thinking of what Bonnie would have wanted. He brushed off the thoughts. "How about some ice cream before bed?"

"Yay she wrapped her small arms around his neck. I love you daddy."

His eyes clouded over as the smell of her blood threatened to overtake him. He took a deep breath and cleared his mind his eyes returning to normal. He squeezed her tighter. "I love you too baby." She laid back in bed and he went down stairs. Heading to the basement for some much needed sustenance. He went through three bags before he realized that he was still downstairs and he had some ice cream to deliver. He fixed the ice cream and took it upstairs to his daughter's room. To find her jumping in the bed and throwing the pillows on the floor. "What are you doing?" He screamed in mock horror. Grabbing her around her waist and sitting her on the bed.

"Can I watch cartoons?"

He looked around. "I'm sorry, but I don't actually have a tv, but I promise first thing in the morning. We can go shopping for one." He said handing her the bowl. She talked and he listened to what there life was like in the other world without him. About her dance recital when everyone got sick. Although, he wanted to appreciate there time together he couldn't because he was getting angrier over all the things he had missed. He clapped his hands together, "Alright, bed time." He said hearing the car pull up out front. She snuggled down into the covers and he kissed her forehead. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, daddy. Will mommy be here in the morning?"

He listened for the front door opening. "Yeah."

He passed Caroline in the hall carrying her own little bundle of joy. The little girl was already in her pajamas as she took her to her room. "Ice cream?"

"I'm allowed to be a silly dad."

Her frown turned upside down. "You are."

He paid no attention to the crowd that had assembled in the living room and walked to the kitchen. Rinsing off the dish. Suddenly, he was attacked from behind as Elena wrapped her arms around his back. "I missed you."

He turned around and gave her a hug. "Its nice to be back. Thanks for hanging in there with me." He said this to Elena, but it was Enzo that he had his eyes on.

"Of course. I'll always be there for you." She playfully hit him on the shoulder.

"You have more lives than a cat, mate." Enzo said smiling slyly.

"I don't know how I would have gotten through any of it." He looked directly at Enzo. "I owe you an apology."

Enzo's eyes glimmered with unshed tears. "No apologies, mate. I do what I want."

Damon laughed and gave him an embrace that was only interrupted by the sight of Bonnie. "Mila's upstairs if you want to go check on her."

"I want to talk to you."

"Will leave you two alone?" Elena said dragging Enzo toward the door.

"They can leave, but I still don't have to deal with you until I'm ready." He said following them out the door.

She stopped him grabbing on to his arm. "Don't do this to me. Don't do this to Mila."

"Wow, you've been back on earth all of two hours and you're already using her against me."

She released his arm and he walked out on to the back porch. Needing some fresh air. The wind cool on the back of his neck. He looked towards the tree in the backyard remembering that it was just a few days ago that he stood before Enzo showing him his ripped and torn back. He subconsciously touched his back.

"It's not there anymore."

He turned to see Bonnie standing there. He groaned inwardly. He wasn't ready to have this conversation. He wanted to rip her throat out, but at the same time he wanted to kiss her and tell her that he missed her.

"The scars, the blood, the jagged skin it's all gone." She said approaching him tentatively.

"And just the emotional scars remain."

"Not even that. The children you killed their alive."

"I know that." He nodded looking off into the distance remembering that he watched a tv program in the hospital with Caroline. There faces flashed across the screen. He didn't recognize them then, but he remembers now. "I was actually referring to the scars you left." He watched her as she sucked in a harsh breath. He walked around her taking in the smell of her lavender shampoo. The slight pudge of her stomach some leftover baby weight. She was beautiful, but he was angry. So much that even the sight of her turned his stomach. "See they showed me the video of you leaving me as I called after you. Begged you to return and I remembered thinking. I don't know what I did to hurt her, but I must've deserved it."

"Caroline told me in the ride over about your amnesia, about everything."

"Yeah, I remember everything now. Funny, I just can't feel the same way. Because I didn't deserve it. I didn't deserve to miss out on so much of my baby's life. And what do you do? You name her Mila, is that supposed to be some sort of consolation prize. You hated that name."

She sighed as if it hurt just to speak. "You have to understand I did it to bring the children back."

"I thought you might say that. I was planning on hating you anyway. Until I spent a few minutes alone with her smile, her smell, her none stop talking - just like her mom. I realized then that I would have made the same decision to give those parents their moments back."

"So you understand?" She asked turning her hand across his chest as her eyes brimmed with tears.

He twisted her hand away from him. "Don't touch me because what I understand is that you didn't stop there. You turned me human and left me to die in agony."

She grimaced. "Damon you're hurting me."

He released her wrist and pushed her away. "I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to love you. You're just need to be nothing to me."

"No, No Damon. I had no idea that he was going to do that. I did not tell him to hurt you."

"He did it on his own?"

"Yes," she said wiping furiously at a stray tear.

"How did he get the idea?"

"I . . .I don't know." She stammered.

"I'm going to ask you one more time. HOW DID HE KNOW?"

She bit her lip not bothering to stop the tears that were flowing freely now. "I told him that you should be human because it would stop your pain and you wouldn't hurt people anymore."

He ran his hand through his hair and cursed under his breath. He stormed over to the green lawn chair and tossed it against the tree. "Why because understanding me was too hard? Because being in hell was just a trip to Disneyland and i'm exaggerating the pain? Or because you knew I was spiraling and you let Enzo take care of it rather then deal with it yourself?"

"I was pregnant with your child. You were disappearing at all hours of the night and yes I did follow you. I knew you were killing women. I saw the scars one morning while you were taking a shower. I just didn't know it was going to get that bad. So I decided when I found out about those kids that I was going to fix my mistake. I was going to make you human like before when everything was better."

"Better? Like when I got addicted to cocaine?"

"That had nothing to do with that. You were doing that because of Elena."

"BS. I did that because in one fatal swoop I was in a strange land and I was actually scared, tired and weak. And I thought you understood that. Instead you made me everything I hate . . .again." He walked up to her so she could feel his presence. "I don't want anything from you. I don't want your love, your pity, your concern. I want a life without you. But there's a little girl upstairs and for her sake. I'm going to play nice. But after she's tucked away in her bed you go away and stay the hell away from me." He walked toward the screen door.

"I still love you. Mila loves you, but more importantly I still love you and I never stopped. Most of my decisions were made because I didn't understand where you were coming from. So I want to change that." He heard the cock of a gun.

He turned around to see her holding one of Jeremy's pistols.

"I stole this from Jeremy's car. I was going to ask you to shoot me." She said holding the gun out for him, but she changed her mind and pointed it at her head. "But maybe you'll care more if I just do it myself."

"There's a baby upstairs that doesn't want you to do this?"

"And what about you?"

"Baby, I don't want you to die. I'm just angry." He held out his hand for her to hand over the gun. "And I'll take it all back if it will mean you're okay."

"I'm not going to die. You're going to turn me into a vampire. Like you."

He frowned. "You don't want this for your life. For Mila's life. You're only saying this out of fear."

She laughed. "I've had three years to think about this. To run the question over an over again in my head. This is my choice. Look at Caroline and Stefan we can be parents." She backed up. "Don't come any closer."

He stopped his steady March. "Bonnie, you're going to regret this later. Let's just take sometime, a few days, and then will talk about it."

She pointed the gun at her heart. "You don't get to talk me out of this. I love you."

"I know." He nodded. "Maybe I didn't know before, but I know now." He used his speed to interject, but not before she pulled the trigger.

She coughed up blood. "I guess we can answer the question is Damon faster than a speeding bullet."

He looked down at her bloody shirt. He was able to knock her off center enough so that she missed her heart, but she was still dying. He could hear her heart slowing down. She fell to her knees and he caught her before she hit the ground. "You crazy girl." He bit into his wrist and fed her.

"What did you do to her." Snapped Jeremy pulling him away from her and dragging his body sme feet away.

"Oh my God." He's killed her Caroline exclaimed her hand over her mouth in horror. She looked towards the window. "With the children upstairs." She ran back towards the house.

"You son of a bitch," Jeremy screamed spit coming out of his mouth as he pummeled Damon in the face.

"No, you don't. Not this time." Elena said holding Enzo back against the side of the house.

"Everyone just calm down," Stefan said grabbing Jeremy off of Damon.

"Of course you would take his side?" Jeremy spat. "While the woman I love is dying. Why don't you call an ambulance? Or is Damon the only person you care about?"

"I'm not taking anyone's side. Elena, Enzo tell me someone else is hearing what I'm hearing."

Damon made it to his elbow spitting out the blood in his mouth. "He's not calling an ambulance because there's nothing they can do."

"Oh my God," Elena said peering at her friend more closely.

"You son of a bitch," Jeremy exclaimed trying to lunge at him once more unsuccessfully.

"He's not calling an ambulance because there's no cure for vampirism." Bonnie said licking all the blood from her lips.

Jeremy looked back at him. "Why didn't you say something?"

"Seemed like you needed to get some things off your chest." He smiled with a wink as he got to his feet.

Jeremy threw up his hands and walked back towards the house. "You two deserve each other."

 **The End.**

* * *

 **Author's Note:** For the sake of word count I did rush Bonnie's transformation to vampire.


End file.
